England's Bucolic Bolton Strid: One of the Deadliest Water Bodies in the World

The perfect river best for a romantic dip or thoughtful walk is the Wharfe River in the region of Yorkshire in northern England. The river breezes and weaves past stony beaches, tall trees, and bright green boulders covered with moss for 65 miles.

At a point, the river weaves past the pleasant Bolton Priory from the 12th-century. Though the river also has a disreputable history perfect for a horror movie, especially at the portion beside the priory known as the 'Bolton Strid.'

It is known as the Bolton Strid because the water is so dangerous that if someone mistakenly slips into the river, it is improbable that they will ever come back. Certainly, as reported by local legend, 100 percent of the people who have dropped into the Bolton Strid have lost their lives - and most of them, their bodies have never been retrieved.

(Photo : Pixabay)

Why the Bolton Strid is Dangerous

Above Bolton Strid mouth where the river is said to be about 9 meters (30 feet wide), the water flows peacefully and easily. But thanks to an unusual geological formation, the Wharfe river is swiftly squeezed at the Bolton Strid, piping water of hundreds of gallons via a tiny channel of six foot.

For this reason, the water goes faster and waves side to side, up, down, and every direction, thereby making whirlpools and bubbles arise and that can instantly draw a human under. As stated by a Professor of Environment at Gresham College in London, Carolyn Roberts the beauty of the strid can simply fool tourists who do not know any better into a wrong sense of security.

Beautiful Rivers

Roberts reported to The Daily Mail that "Beautiful rivers can also be dangerous to humans - the River Nile contains a lot of crocodiles, the Zambesi will drive you over the Victoria Falls, and avoid swallowing water from the lower reaches of Colorado. Even though the Strid is also appealing, and looks harmless, it is equivalently deadly."

Roberts also stated that the Yorkshire Strid, from the surface, looks shallow, but beneath it is a huge network of caves and cracks of sedimentary rock that will in seconds, tear apart a human body wrecked against them.

(Photo : Kellie Churchman)

Dangerous Warning

Leaving beside the Bolton Abbey village and getting closer to the river, guests will see a dangerous warning that says 'The Strid is dangerous and has claimed lives in the past. Please stand well back and beware of slippery rocks.'

William de Romilly, the son of Lady Alice de Romilly who owned the surrounding land is one of the most well-known live claimed by the strid. As disclosed by local legend, the Bolton Strid swallowed the boy in 1152 when he made an attempt to leap across it.

When Lady Alice's son lost his life, she reportedly gave the surroundings to monks who could pray for the soul of her son. Hundreds of years later, William Wordsworth, an English poet remembered the boy's death in his poem "Force of prayer"

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Tags england, river, research