An ‘abandoned circus’ has arrived in a North Yorkshire cave offering spooky fun for the Halloween season.

Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough opened for the Creepy Carnival event and so far organisers say it has been a “huge success”.

The site has been transformed into a spooky abandoned circus, with actors and carnival themed props.

A spokesperson for the event said they were “blown away” by the response to the Halloween experience.

“The people dressed up were fab, fortune teller and birdman were hilarious,” they said.

“The kids absolutely loved everything about it.”

The event continues until Sunday, November 5.

Mother Shipton was born Ursula Sontheil, in 1488 to 15-year-old Agatha Soothtale, allegedly in a cave just outside Knaresborough.

Read next:

She was an English soothsayer and prophetess according to English folklore and has sometimes been described as a witch. It is also alleged Ursula was the spawn of Satan, a rumour helped by the cave's well-known skull-shaped pool, which turned things to stone.

Later, she began creating potions and herbal remedies and eventually married Toby Shipton. He died after two years, and blamed by locals for his death, she moved back into the cave.

Here she created remedies and potions, with people increasingly travelling from afar to see her.

As her popularity grew she grew bolder and revealed she could see the future.

She started by making small prophecies involving her town and the people within, and as her prophecies came true she began telling prophecies of the monarchy and the future of the world.

For more information visit: https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/events/halloween/