Do not underestimate the Strid, a narrow stretch of the River Wharfe, near Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire. Although it may look little more than a feisty stream, with its burbling waters and moss-covered rocks, the Strid is deceptively dangerous.
Upstream from the Strid, the river is a generous 27 metres wide and the water flows slowly, but on entry to the feature, it is squeezed into a narrow, deep channel, two metres across and four metres deep. Large volumes of water are forced through the chasm at high speeds, creating powerful undercurrents.
Over time, this has undercut the rocks that flank the Strid, creating dangerous overhangs that make it incredibly difficult for anyone that falls in to climb out.
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Locals have claimed that the river here has a 100% fatality rate, and whilst data is lacking, there have been a number of high profile tragedies. Notably, in the twelfth century, a young nobleman called William de Romily drowned when he tried and failed to jump across. His story inspired William Wordworth’s poem The Force of Prayer.
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Top image: OLI SCARFF / Getty Images
