136 
BURRELL : DROPPING WELL AT KNARESBOROUGII. 
" A little above March Bridge, but on the farther ripe of Nidde 
as I cam, is a Welle of a wonderful nature, caullid Dropping Welle, for 
out of the great Rokkes by it, distilleth water continually ynto it. 
This water is so could, and of such a nature, that what thing soever 
faullith oute of the Rokkes ynto this pitte, or ys caste in or growith 
aboute the Rokkes and is touchid of this water, growith ynto stone ; 
or else sum sand, or other fine ground that is aboute the Rokkes, 
cummith doune with the continualle droping of the Springs in the 
Rokkes, and clevith on such things as it taketh, and so clevith aboute 
it and giveth it by continuance the shape of a stone. There was ons, 
as I hard say, a conduct of stoue made to convey water from this 
welle over Nidde to the priory of Knaresborough ; but this was 
decayed afore the dissolution of the house." It would, therefore, 
appear that some time prior to 1534, the water was used for drinking 
purposes. 
Camden in 1607 states, "A spring fed not by water rising out 
of the ground, but by drops faUing from the rock above, whence it 
is called the Dropping Well, in wduch whatever wood is thrown is 
soon incrusted with a coat of stone and petrified." 
In the first medical treatise on the Harrogate waters, written by 
Dr. Dean in 1626, we find " Besides great plenty of Springs of 
common water, we have here Five worthy the Physicians Observation ; 
the first whereof, over against the Castle, is called the Dropping 
Well, because it drops, distils and trickles down from the Rock 
above, the water whereof is of a petrefpng nature, turns everything 
to a stony Substance in a short time. ...... 
It's said to be effectual in staying any 
Flux of the Body." 
Four years later, in 1632, Dr. Stanhope writes, " There is also 
a dropping petrifying well, which cures Fluxes of the Belly; instances 
whereof we have seen." 
The first examination of the water was by Dr. French in 1654. 
" He evaporated the water, and in the bottom remained a stony 
powder, like the powder of the stones of the rock. A pint of it 
weighs ten grains heavier than a pint of common water. 
. It's chief virtues are, to allay acid, gnawing and hot 
