Did you know one of the world’s deadliest rivers is just two metres wide and in the UK? Try and stride across and it might well be the last stride you ever take

Did you know one of the world’s deadliest rivers is just two metres wide and in the UK? Try and stride across and it might well be the last stride you ever take

Is the Stid in Yorkshire the world's deadliest body of water?


The River Strid in Yorkshire may seem bucolic and bubbly, flanked by smooth grey rocks cloaked in moss and liverworts, but do not be fooled by this apparent idyll says Helen Pilcher.

This slender stretch of the River Wharf, a short walk from Bolton Abbey, is reported to be one of the deadliest rivers in the world

Why is the Strid so deadly?

Upstream from the Strid, where the river is a generous 27 metres across, the water flows slowly. On entry to the feature, however, it becomes 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 limestone rocks that flank the Strid, creating dangerous overhangs that make it incredibly difficult for anyone that falls in to climb out. 

In addition, because the Strid is so narrow, heavy rainfalls can cause the water level to rise rapidly and spill over the bank. This creates a slippery hazard for anyone walking nearby. 

Locals claim that the river has a 100% fatality rate, and warnings signs close to it read “The Strid is DANGEROUS and has claimed lives in the past.” Most recently, in 1998, a couple who were walking in the area, fell in and died on the second day of their honeymoon.

Going further back in time, 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.

The word ‘strid’ comes from the Old English stryth, meaning ‘turmoil,’ but it was later corrupted to Strid, referring to the possibility of striding across. Not a good idea. Although the Strid may seem small enough to stride across at certain points, don’t risk it, or it could be the last stride that you ever take.

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