KNARESBOROUGH is a town of England, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is situated on a rocky emi nence, on the north-eastern bank of the river Nid, which issues from the bottom of the Craven hills, and flows be low precipitous rocks, in a beautiful glen. The town, which is tolerably large and well built, and contains many handsome modern houses, consists of two principal streets, and some smaller ones, along one of which runs the high road through Harrowgatc to Boroughbridge ; while along the other street, which crosses it at right .angles, runs the road from Ripley to Wetherby. On an abrupt bank, over looking the tiver, are the venerable remains of a castle, built by Serlo de Burgh, baron of Tonsburgh in Norman dy. It contained nearly two acres and a half within its walls, which were flanked with eleven towers. Part of the principal tower still remains, and seems to have been built about the time of Edward III. It consists of three stairs above the keep, or dungeon. The roof of the dungeon is arched with stone, and supported by one round pillar, three feet in diameter.
The parish church is neither spacious nor elegant. It contains several handsome monuments, particularly of the Slingsby family. There is here a spacious market-place, whh a neat cross, erected in 1719. Besides a free school house, built by subscription in 1741, there is a dissenting chapel, built in 17T8—a Quaker's mccting•houae, built in 1701—and a good stone bridge over the Nid. The prin cipal manufactures are coarse linens and sheetings; and a great trade is carried on in corn. Very fine liquorice is grown round the town. More than 1000 pieces of linen, each twenty yards long, have often been woven here in a single week. Knareshorough sends two members to par liament, and is governed by a bailiff, who is also the return ing officer at the election. The right of election belongs to the possessors of 84 burgage holds.
This town has long been celebrated for its fine medicinal spring, and was a place of great resort before I Iarrowgate and Scarborough came into such repute. The Sweet Spa, or vitriolic well, discovered in 1620, is situated in Linares borough forest, about three miles from the town. The Stinking Spa, or sulphur well, is very foetid, and is used only for bathing. It changes silver to the colour of cop
per. St. Mungo's Well is a cold bath, ahout four miles distant from the town. The famous Dropping or Petrify ing Well is in the long walk on the south-west bank of the Nut. and opposite to the castle It rises in the declivity of the hill, at the foot of a limestone rock, about forty yards from the banks of the river ; and, after a course of twenty yards, it spreads itself on the top of a rock, from which it trickles down in about forty places, creating a musical kind of tinkling. The quantity cf water delivered in a minute is about twenty gallons. The rock, which is covered with plants, flowers, and shrubs, projects in a circular curve from the bottom to the top, so that its brow overhangs its base nearly fifteen feet. It is about 30 feet high, 48 long, and from SO to 48 broad. The ground that receives the water before it forms the well has been converted into a solid rock, through a distance of 24 feet ; and the spring water, in running into the river Nid, has formed a rock some yards long.
The walk from the Dropping NVell to the high bridge is remarkably fine, exhibiting a great variety of charming prospects. On the other side of the river, near Grimbald Bridge, and at the foot of a perpendicular rock, is St. Ro bert's chapel, which is elegantly hollowed out of the solid rock. It is 10 feet 6 inches long, and 7 feet 6 inches high. The roof and altar are finely enriched with Gothic orna ments. Behind the altar is a large niche, where there was formerly an image. There are also three heads, supposed to represent the Trinity ; and another, supposed to be that of John the Baptist, to whom the chapel was dedicated. On one side of the entrance, shaded with spreading ivy, is the figure of a warrior, cut out of the rock, in the act of drawing his sword to defend the entrance. The borough and township of Knaresborough contained, in 1811, 888 houses, 994 families, 837 families employed in trade and manufactures, and 4234 inhabitants. See Hargravt's Histo ry of the Castle, Town, and Forest of Knaresborough. 1798 ; and the Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xvt. p 634.