Lugares de interés (POIs) del Mapa
0: Sherwood Forest, circa 1232
This is a very rough approximation of the area covered by Sherwood Forest circa 1232 AD until the end of the Middle Ages. (I'm still tinkering with the shape.) The medieval meaning of forest was a legal one - denoting an area under the enforcement of the forest laws. Many parts of a forest were not thick with trees - and fields, plains, wetlands and towns were still part of the forest. At the beginning of the 13th century, most of Nottinghamshire was under forest law. But in Henry III's reign, forest charters "disafforested" large sections of the county. While Sherwood is the standard locale in modern fiction, some of the early ballads and references speak of Barnsdale rather than Sherwood. But an early reference to Robin Hood is a Lincoln Cathedral library manuscript from circa 1425 AD has the verse "Robyn hod in scherewod stod". Also, the 15th century ballad
Robin Hood and the Monk mentions "mery Scherwode". If you're interested in preserving what's left of the forest, please visit the
Sherwood Forest Trust.
1: Nottingham
Even the ballads set in Yorkshire mention Nottingham. To those outside of the UK, the name is probably best known as where Robin Hood's arch-enemy the Sheriff of Nottingham is from. Strictly speaking, the legendary sheriff would have been the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, as the town (now city) of Nottingham didn't have its own sheriff until the 1400s. The modern-day sheriff helps promote tourism to the city.
Click here for an interview with the sheriff from 2009-2010.
2: Barnsdale, Yorkshire
In some ballads, like the 15th century
A Gest of Robyn Hode, Robin Hood is based in Barnsdale rather than Sherwood. The location is also mentioned in some of the earliest references to the legend. The name (which comes from Beorn's Valley) is somewhat ambiguous. J.C. Holt remarked that by setting Barnsdale events near Wentbridge "the legend has Barnsdale three miles north of its true location" (p. 84) and later writers picked up on this and referred to areas to the south of Ferrybridge as being part of Barnsdale. In the 15th century John Leland had referred to it as the "famose forest of Barnsdale, where they say Robyn Hudde lyvid like an outlaw". But Holt says the reputation as a forest came from the Robin Hood legend, not from medieval fact. "The forest law was never in force here ... Indeed there was no royal forest in the immediate neighbourhood." (p. 86) Although in the modern legend, the Nottinghamshire setting has eclipsed the Yorkshire one, Barnsdale still gets mentioned. In the 1976 film Robin and Marian, Little John says he was born there. And some scenes of the 2010 Robin Hood film take place in Barnsdale, although the film's Barnsdale seems to be a fictional town larger than the movie's Nottingham. On this map, the area around where Doncaster Rd. forks off the A1 is known as Barnsdale Bar.
3: Tower of London, London
It doesn't play a role in the medieval legend, but this castle (or a recreation of it) appears in the 2010 film. Anyway, it helps put the other sites in relation to London.
Más sobre Tower of London, London4: Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham
Self-styled "oldest pub in England", the Trip says it was established in 1189 AD, although there isn't evidence to confirm that. The actual building is only a few hundred years old, but part of it is built into the sandstone rock on which Nottingham Castle sits. It doesn't feature in the traditional legend, but "the Trip" has been namechecked in modern versions of the story, including the 2006-2009 BBC/Tiger Aspect series starring Jonas Armstrong.
Más sobre Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham5: Robin Hood Statue, near Nottingham Castle
This 20th century statue of Robin Hood by James Woodford is a well-known symbol of the city. Local miscreants keep stealing his arrow, however. There are also Woodford-designed plaques with images from the legend on the surrounding walls.
Más sobre Robin Hood Statue, near Nottingham Castle6: Nottingham Castle
The 13th century gatehouse looks impressive. But sadly, the rest of the medieval castle is long gone. The 17th century ducal mansion that sits on the castle hill now features an art gallery. Much of Nottingham is built on sandstone caves, and you can tour the caves of the castle including Mortimer's Hole - or what is reputed to be it - where the young Edward III secretly entered the castle and seized Roger Mortimer.
Más sobre Nottingham Castle7: St, Mary's Church, Nottingham
This is where Robin Hood went to pray and was captured in the 15th century ballad
Robin Hood and the Monk. (The current church building is at least the third on the site and dates between the late 1300s and mid-1400s.) The Galleries of Justice, slightly to the east and across the street on Weekday Cross, is a tourist attraction which is also worth a visit. Locals claim this is where Robin was held prisoner in the Monk ballad. Some of the Robin Hood memorabilia from the closed Tales of Robin Hood attraction is on display here.
8: The Tales of Robin Hood, Nottingham
Former Site of a Robin Hood tourist attraction that ran from 1989 - 2009. There's occasional talk of re-opening the site or building something similar. Items from Tales are now on display at the Galleries of Justice, across from St. Mary's Church in Nottingham. (It was announced in January 2011 that Tesco's would be put a store in this site.) You might find it odd that Nottingham doesn't have that much tourism directed towards Robin Hood, but I couldn't possibly comment.
Más sobre The Tales of Robin Hood, Nottingham10: Will Scarlet's Grave, Blidworth, Notts.
Local tradition (although it doesn't appear in any ballad) has it that Will Scarlet is buried in the graveyard connected with the church St. Mary of the Purification. Look for the vaguely arrow (or church steeple) shaped grave. (Local traditions also say that Marian was born in Blidworth and nearby Fountain Dale is where Robin met Friar Tuck. However, the Fountain Dale name first appears in this area in the 1800s. Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire is genuinely medieval.)
Más sobre Will Scarlet's Grave, Blidworth, Notts.12: King John's Palace, Clipstone
All that remains of the medieval hunting lodge, favoured by the Plantagenet kings, is a decaying wall. Nearby, to the north of Mansfield Road, is Archway Lodge, a 19th century building that included tributes to Robin Hood and the Merry Men.
Más sobre King John's Palace, Clipstone13: St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe
Part of the medieval Sherwood Forest, local legend (although none of the ballads) says
Robin Hood and Maid Marian were married in this church. The Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre is close by, and a few blocks south on Church St., there's a statue of the legendary lovers outside of the library.
14: Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre
Located near Edwinstowe, the Visitor Centre is the hub of activity for modern Sherwood. There are exhibits dedicated to both the forest and outlaw legend, a gift shop, a restaurant, and it's the starting point for walking trails through the forest. Every summer (around the beginning of August), the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre hosts a Robin Hood Festival.
Click here for a photo gallery of the 2006 Festival. It is due to be replaced in upcoming years with a new centre.
15: The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest
Popular imagination depicts this as Robin's headquarters. Historically it would have been a sapling in Robin Hood's day but this large oak is the pride and joy of modern Sherwood. The various paths from the visitor centre lead here, and it's a site of much activity during their Robin Hood Festival every summer.
Más sobre The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest16: Robin Hood's Cave, Creswell Crags
The largest of the caves in this limestone gorge, there's no evidence that Robin Hood spent time here. On the other hand, there are lots of artifacts from the Ice Age Neanderthals who once lived here. (Appendix IV of Dobson and Taylor's Rymes of Robyn Hood lists dozens of Robin Hood's wells, stones, caves, etc.)
Más sobre Robin Hood's Cave, Creswell Crags17: Newark Castle
The remains of the castle where King John died in 1216, also with Victorian gardens.
Más sobre Newark Castle18: Little John's Grave, Hathersage, Derbyshire
In the graveyard surrounding the parish church, you'll find what purports to be the grave of Robin Hood's "friend and lieutenant" Little John. The earliest known reference to its Robin Hood connection comes from the 1600s, and tales say that in the 1700s the grave was exhumed and 32-inch long thigh bone was discovered. There was also a bow associated with the outlaw. In the middle ages, Derbyshire was controlled by the same sheriff as Nottinghamshire. Hathersage also appears in the 1980s TV series Robin of Sherwood as Little John's home town and actor Clive Mantle adopted a Derbyshire accent for the role. Fans of the Bronte sisters also might like to pay a visit as many of the locations of Jane Eyre were inspired by Hathersage.
Más sobre Little John's Grave, Hathersage, Derbyshire19: Loxley, Sheffield, Yorkshire
The life of Robin Hood in a Sloane manuscript circa 1600 AD says that Robin Hood was born in 1160 in Locksley either in Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire (there isn't a Nottinghamshire Locksley except in fiction). This was presumably a reference to the village of Loxley, a suburb of Sheffield in Yorkshire. Later tradition have added details including that his birthplace was near the present-day Normandale House (which should be present in a street view of this point.) There's also a Loxley in Warwickshire that some claim was Robin's birthplace although it's much further away from the outlaw's usual haunts. Many Robin Hood TV shows, films and books borrow the Locksley/Loxley name but set the village near Nottingham.
Más sobre Loxley, Sheffield, Yorkshire20: Robin Hood's Well, Yorkshire (Barnsdale area)
Originally located nearby and moved due to modern roads, this well was originally near the site of a Robin Hood's stone that had been referenced in a source from 1422. That now vanished Robin Hood's Stone is the earliest known Robin Hood place name. The well is located in the Barnsdale area that was Robin's base of operations in some of the early ballads. (Appendix IV of Dobson and Taylor's Rymes of Robyn Hood lists dozens of Robin Hood's wells, stones, caves, etc.)
Más sobre Robin Hood's Well, Yorkshire (Barnsdale area)21: Wentbridge, Yorkshire - (Barnsdale area)
Site of the only Robin Hood-related blue plaque in Yorkshire. In the 15th century ballad
A Gest of Robyn Hode tells Little John to go at look towards Watling Street to find a "guest" for dinner. In the 14th century, Watling Street was a local nickname for the stretch of road here. Little John was looking on from the nearby Sayles Plantation overlooking the area. (Nowadays a viaduct spoils the view a bit). In the 15th century ballad,
Robin Hood and the Potter, Little John remarks he encountered the potter and his son at Wentbridge ("Went breg"). Look for the blue plaque on the stone bridge crossing the river Went.
22: Near Kirklees Priory, site of Robin Hood's grave
Called Kyrkesly in the 15th century ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, (and Church Lees or Kirkley in the ballad
Robin Hood's Death), Kirklees Priory has long been the site of Robin Hood's demise. The wicked prioress was his cousin or aunt. There's even a grave on the site with Robin's epitath in faux-medieval language. Very little of the medieval priory is left, but the surviving gatehouse has sometimes been depicted in illustrated versions of the tale. The priory and Robin Hood's Grave are on private property (no trespassing), but they aren't far from the Three Nuns Inn which is where this point is centered.
23: Wakefield, Yorkshire
In the 19th century, Joseph Hunter suggested that Robert Hood, a tenant of Wakefield in 1316-7 AD may have been the same
Robyn Hood who served as a porter to Edward II in 1322 AD. The argument that this (or those, as there's no evidence that the two Hoods were the same) Hood was the one that inspired the legend has been largely discredited. There's also a 17th century ballad where Robin fought and recruited
The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield or George-a-Greene, the Pinner of Wakefield as he's called in the 1590s play. Pinderfields exists as a placename in modern Wakefield for where the pinder, a pound-keeper, would have once controlled animals.
24: St. Mary's Abbey, York
The ruins of a once-great Benedictine abbey. In the early ballad,
A Gest of Robyn Hode, Robin helps a knight repay a loan to the greedy abbot. Later in the same ballad, Robin robs the monks and cellarer of this abbey. In the
Elizabethan plays by Anthony Munday, the prior of this abbey is Robin's uncle and betrays the hero. In some modern versions, the abbot (although sometimes the abbey has been relocated to Nottinghamshire) is the Sheriff of Nottingham's brother.
25: Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire
Once a great Cistercian abbey (founded by monks from St. Mary's Abbey, York), Fountains is the traditional home, according to the ballad
Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar, of Friar Tuck. (Although technically speaking, Tuck isn't named in the ballad, He is in a similar 16th century play.) Illustrations have depicted Tuck carrying Robin across the River Skell on his back. (The pin is located by the river, behind the abbey.) There's another Robin Hood's Well on the grounds.
26: Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire
A fishing village between Whitby and Scarborough, once a known home to smugglers. The closest connection with the proper Robin Hood legend is a late ballad Robin Hood's Fishing (or The Noble Fisherman) where Robin Hood disguises himself as a fisherman at nearby Scarborough and then fights the French at sea.
Click here to read the ballad. Some modern novels like
Theresa Tomlinson's
The Forestwife also make use of this area.