Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Yorkshire Bolton Strid
AO Edited

Bolton Strid

This lovely little burbling creek is actually a deadly waterway that has dragged down everyone who ever set foot in it.

Yorkshire, England

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Bolton Strid   Steve Glover
Bolton Strid   Steve Glover
Bolton Strid   Jack Berry
Bolton Strid   Jack Berry
Bolton Strid   Jack Berry
The moss makes the rocks slippery.   Peter II / Atlas Obscura User
The River Wharf a few miles downstream of the Strid (near Bolton Abby). I suspect there are small tributaries as the Strid itself did not appear to have this much water flowing through it. [Photo: My wife]   Peter II / Atlas Obscura User
Tube shaped pitting in the rocks beside the strid   Jessquire / Atlas Obscura User
  Jessquire / Atlas Obscura User
The Bolton Strid is known by locals as “The Strid.” [Photo: My wife]   Peter II / Atlas Obscura User
The mouth is by far the most violent section of the Strid [Photo: My wife]   Peter II / Atlas Obscura User
  Peter II / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Part of the raging River Wharfe, the Bolton Strid is a picturesque stretch of river that looks like the type of place one might find fairies frolicking in the heath. But just beneath the surface is a natural booby trap that has claimed a number of lives.

Around the area of the Strid, the River Wharfe runs between two banks of mossy boulders, looking more like a stream or a creek than a rushing river, but travel just upstream of the spot and you will see that the waterway expands into a proper river, some 30-feet across with frothing currents and waves. The reason the Strid is so narrow is not because they've ended up running off course from the river, but because the waters simply change orientation. Instead of flowing in a wide horizontal course, the waters begin to flow vertically in the tight shaft created by the natural rock.

This change in orientation has created a deceptively deep and powerful current, even carving out areas beneath the shore rocks to create voids where debris (and people) in the water can be trapped. Indeed while there do not seem to be any hard numbers about exactly how many people have perished in the Strid, the local legend is that no one who has dared enter the waters has ever made it out alive. The caves and naturally carved traps laying just under the surface of the photo ready river have been claiming lives for centuries.

Nonetheless, the hiking trail that takes people near the Strid is still a popular place to stroll. Today there are signs up all around warning of the river's hidden dangers. Even with these in place, it seems unlikely that the bloodlust of the Bolton Strid has been sated.

Related Tags

Rivers Natural Wonders Hidden Water Nature

Know Before You Go

Park at the cafe nearby and walk upstream along the footpath until you reach the Strid. Be aware that the car park costs £15 per car, or £12.50 if you pre-book online (as per April 2022).

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

mwebb63, KARAGORN, aribrown, MattWPBS...

  • mwebb63
  • KARAGORN
  • aribrown
  • MattWPBS
  • Rickstar
  • Peter II
  • Jessquire

Published

December 14, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/11/bolton-strid-stream-that-swallows-people.html
  • http://www.cracked.com/article_19705_the-5-most-spectacular-landscapes-earth-that-murder-you.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Wharfe#The_Strid
Bolton Strid
Dales Way
Yorkshire, England, BD23 6AN
United Kingdom
54.003551, -1.903436
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Coldstones Cut

North Yorkshire, England

miles away

Ilkley Moor

Ilkley, England

miles away

Oldest Sweet Shop in England

Pateley Bridge, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Yorkshire

Yorkshire

England

Places 2
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Coldstones Cut

North Yorkshire, England

miles away

Ilkley Moor

Ilkley, England

miles away

Oldest Sweet Shop in England

Pateley Bridge, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Yorkshire

Yorkshire

England

Places 2
Stories 5

Related Stories and Lists

Bolton Strid

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • No Name Lake.

    Oregon

    No Name Lake

    Unknown to many, this sparkling turquoise lake hides amid Oregon's snowcapped mountains.

  • The ghost forest in the fog.

    Neskowin, Oregon

    Neskowin Ghost Forest

    The eerie remnants of an ancient forest were hidden under the sand for centuries.

  • Lonely tree reflected in turquoise blue water.

    Lijiang, China

    Blue Moon Valley

    A bright turquoise river cascades beautifully down stepped terraces in southern China.

  • Sculptured rocks.

    Hebron, New Hampshire

    Sculptured Rocks

    This narrow canyon has been carved by the river over thousands of years into spectacular and curious forms.

  • Kong Lor Cave.

    Laos

    Kong Lor Cave

    A boat ride through utter darkness, lit only by headlamps, reveals an emerald green pool locals believe is sacred.

  • Surfers on the Severn bore

    Gloucestershire, England

    Severn Bore

    This stretch of the River Severn where large waves flow against the current is the birthplace of river surfing.

  • A watery path

    Oman

    Snake Canyon

    Nature's water park in the Wadi Bani Awf valley is full of pools flanked with cliffs and natural water slides.

  • The Trent Aegir tidal bore.

    West Stockwith, England

    The Trent Aegir

    In the right conditions a wall of water up to five feet tall flows upstream against the current on the River Trent.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.