Ilkley's Tragic Well: Robert Dale's Built Bath Site, 1793 Drowning

Ilkley's Tragic Well: Robert Dale's Built Bath Site, 1793 Drowning

Beyond the tales of plunging and healing, the 1791-built White Wells bath of Ilkley Moor hides a chilling story from 1793 when a young girl drowned.

Ilkley's White Wells is a historic spa bath on Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire, England. Built around 1700 by landowner Peter Middleton, the site saw two baths built by Robert Dale in 1791. The plunge pool is used every New Year’s Day for plunging. However, the site has a more tragic tale. In 1793, a nine-year-old girl named Anne Harper met her end in the very same bath built by Robert Dale.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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