Robin Hood

Many people throughout the world have heard of Sherwood Forest and learned about the legend of Robin Hood; most recently the actor Jonas Armstrong brought him to life again in the popular BBC TV series. However, did you know that most of the magical places associated with Robin and his outlaws can be found around Ollerton?

Hundreds of visitors flock each year to the attractive parish church of St Mary’s at Edwinstowe where Robin Hood and Maid Marian were said to have married. If you look inside you can find decorative screens that commemorate the event. You can also find a sculpture of the pair outside the library. If you are coming from a distance you are advised to phone in advance to check that the church is open, although it is most days in summer, by telephoning the Parish Office on: 01623 822430.

The Major Oak can be found in Sherwood Forest Country Park. Tales passed down through the generations have said that the hole in its enormous split trunk provided a secret hiding place for Robin Hood and his merry men. Unfortunately, the Major Oak is now fenced off as it was suffering greatly from the pressure of visitors’ feet and supports have also been added over the years to prevent weak branches from collapsing. At the visitor centre you will find more information about the tree and from there you will be able to visit it in the surrounding forest. Each August the Robin Hood Festival takes place and it is well worth a visit.

The idyllic village of Wellow has many connections with Robin Hood. According to the book ‘Robin Hood and the Lords of Wellow’ by Tony Molyneux-Smith, its unusually shaped village green holds more secrets than would appear at first glance. Although the green has changed over the centuries, as houses were built and the road to Eakring constructed, the book says that it is still possible to see that its original shape would have formed a perfect triangle – the shape of an arrow head – which points directly at the castle of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

It was in Kings Clipstone that Robin Hood was said to have released hostage peasant families after the king imprisoned them. The remains of King John’s Palace can be seen near the Dog and Duck Inn.

The name Warsop is said to have been derived from ‘Waerg’ meaning ‘outlaw’ and ‘hop’ meaning valley, which translates as ‘home of the outlaw’. It was said that in Robin Hood’s day, the villagers’ doors were never locked, as he was always welcome.

A place where Robin Hood was said to have sheltered is located close to Walesby Forest. However, despite being marked on the Ordnance Survey map, the visitor will not find anything there to mark Robin’s visits.

Robin Hood’s Larder was an ancient tree located in the Birklands that sadly blew down during the gales of the 1960s. This tree contained iron hooks reputed to have been used by Robin Hood to store venison, game birds and other animals. Other accounts suggest that it was used by the king at the time for the same purpose.

Not far from this area, there many other places connected with the legend of Robin Hood, such as Robin Hood’s Seat (near Kirkby Golf Course), Robin Hood’s Stable and The Foresters’ Church (Papplewick), Friar Tuck’s Well (Fountaindale), Will Scarlett’s Grave (Blidworth) and, of course, Nottingham Castle, the home of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Some of these places are inaccessible to the public.

If you want to delve deeper and discover more about the legend of Robin Hood, you may find the following interesting:

The Robin Hood Way opened in 1985 and takes the walker through many beautiful areas of Nottinghamshire associated with the folk hero. It is marked on Ordnance Survey maps and books about the trail can be bought from local tourist information centres. A website established by the Robin Hood Way Association (www.robinhoodway.co.uk) provides a great deal of information; for a small fee you can also become a member.

Visit Nottinghamshire have devised a Robin Hood-themed audio trail that takes in 12 locations associated with the legend around Nottinghamshire. At 7 of the sites, you will find arch-shaped information points with wind-up mechanisms that play short messages in different languages. The audio guide can be downloaded from: www.robinhoodbreaks.com in MP3 format, or you can purchase a CD and ‘interactive challenge map’ from local tourist information centres. A short version specifically for the area around Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve can be purchased for a small fee from Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.

The gift shop at the visitor centre has a fantastic range of Robin Hoodrelated books, as well as costumes, mementos and tea towels – you name it, they have it!

The libraries in this area contain a treasure trove of fascinating books about Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest, many of which are now out of print. The nearest libraries are at Ollerton and Edwinstowe.