Welcome to our web site for Knaresborough. You will find helpful information of the history of the town as well as the places of interest, hotels, attractions, b&bs and much more.

Knaresborough, in its beautiful surroundings is a wonderful place to visit or take a short break in one of the many hotels and bed and breakfast. Only a stones through from Harrogate and Ripon, there is more than enough to see and do in this wonderful location. Set in the wonderful setting of one of the most beautiful counties in Britain, North Yorkshire still inspires many a visitor who return time and time again to the visit many of the numerous attractions.

The Yorkshire town itself centers on the river Nidd with many houses perched on the ridges that rise up from the river, many looking like they have been carved out of the natural rocks that peek out from the deep gore. Overlooking is the magnificent ruins of Knaresborough Castle , a Norman castle which has a wealth of history. King Richard II was imprisoned here before he was taken to Ponefract castle where he was brutally murdered. The knights who murdered Thomas a Becket sought refuge here but in the seventeenth century the castle was destroyed by Parliamentarian soldiers.

At the site of the ruins is the old courthouse, where today the Knaresborough Museum is located. Housed here is a gallery dedicated to the Knaresborough role in the Civil War. It also has many collections of local items tracing the history of the town and charts the various characters that have lived her such as the famous Mother Shipton who was a known as the Yorkshire witch. She was famous for her various predictions of the future and as a fortuneteller. She was born in a cave beside the river on a stormy night. Her mother died in child birth and throughout her early years was associated with many ghostly stories, furniture flying across rooms on its own accord and other mysterious happenings. The Cave she was born in today is now a major tourist attraction in the town with its petrifying well turning everyday objects into stone as well as guided tours that chronicle her mysterious life.

With a visit to Knaresborough come with it the attractions of the nearby villages and towns such as Ripon which is just a stones throw away has a magnificent Cathedral built in the year 672AD and nearby Ripley Castle is a impressive sight and a must see for any visitor to the area.