the robin hood trail - Experience Nottinghamshire

THE
HOME OF
ROBIN
HOOD
the
robin hood
trail
12 of the most famous Robin Hood stories
retold for you in Nottingham city centre
www.mynottingham.gov.uk/robinhood
A brief history
of Nottingham
Robin
Hood
Nottingham’s history is rich and
varied, playing host to some of the
most significant historical events
of the last 1,000 years. From the
Norman Conquest of 1066 to the Black
Death, the Civil War to the Industrial
Revolution, Nottingham and its history
have made Britain what it is today.
The Robin Hood legend is over 800
years old. The popular version tells
of an outlaw living in Sherwood
Forest with his Merry Men, fighting
the Sheriff of Nottingham and
robbing the rich to feed the poor.
Back in the sixth century, Nottingham’s
first settlers – The Angles – called the
city ‘Snotingham’ or ‘Snots’. It only
became Nottingham when William
the Conqueror renamed the city in
1067. Two years later, he ordered
the build of Nottingham Castle.
By the 12th century, the Anglo-Danish
and the Normans had divided the
city in two. The stories of Robin Hood
place him in this century. Despite
years of unrest and the 14th century
Black Death outbreak, Nottingham
became an important trading centre
for timber, iron, wool and pottery. The
city’s caves cut into the sandstone
rock provided great storage for
trade products. Nottingham’s Goose
Fair, one of Europe’s most famous
travelling fairs, is perhaps one of the
oldest too, becoming an important
trading fair at this time. It still takes
place today, every October.
The English Civil War began in
Nottingham when Charles I raised his
standard outside the castle in 1642.
The castle became a stronghold for
parliament and was demolished in
1651. It was rebuilt as a mansion in
1678 by the Duke of Newcastle.
In the 18th and 19th Centuries,
Nottingham’s chief industry was
knitting and lace-making. In 50 years,
the city’s population soared from 10,000
to 50,000. Appalling slums and extreme
poverty developed, fuelling the 1831
Chartist movement, which saw the
castle burned to the ground by rioters,
It then stood as a burnt shell until 1878.
In 1897, Nottingham was declared
a city. Today it’s one of Britain’s most
important cities, with world-class
universities, a thriving cultural scene,
international sport and Science City
status. And, of course, the friendliest
people you could hope to meet!
As the legend dates back to before
the printed press, Robin’s adventures
were spread by word-of-mouth and in
the 15th Century ballads were acted
out in games or plays. It wasn’t until
1580 that they first introduced Maid
Marian as Robin’s love interest.
During the 16th Century Robin
moved up the social ladder when
poets and playwrights turned him
from an ordinary man to a fallen
nobleman. This idea proved popular
during the 19th Century, when books,
poems and an opera were written.
Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 book ‘Ivanhoe’
had storylines that have remained
part of the legend, including
Robin’s return from the crusades
and battles with Prince John.
The oldest references to ‘Robin Hood’
are found in criminal records where
it was used as a common nickname
for criminals. In 1605 Sir Robert Cecil
called Guy Fawkes and his gang “Robin
Hoods” and a manuscript was found,
written by a monk 550 years ago stating
“around this time, an outlaw named
Robin Hood, with his accomplices,
infested Sherwood and other areas of
England with continuous robberies.”
Whatever your belief, Robin Hood is still
alive in the minds of people all over the
world and to most, he’s a real hero.
The Robin
Hood Trail
Along the Robin Hood trail,
you’ll find twelve panels
telling the most popular
Robin Hood stories. Here’s a
little bit about each one. For
a bit of fun, each panel has
a little Robin redbreast on it
somewhere. As you go along,
make a note of where you spot
him in the spaces provided.
1
Robin Hood. The legend begins
5
Robin Hood as cupid
9
Robin Hood meets an assassin
Taken from the ballad ‘Robin Hood’s
progress to Nottingham’, Robin goes
from talented archer to outlaw forced to
hide in Sherwood Forest, making friends
with other outlaws along the way.
A young minstrel crying in the forest
tells Robin and Friar Tuck that his
love is to be married against her will.
This tale comes from the 17th Century
ballad ‘Robin Hood and Allan A Dale.’
........................................................................
........................................................................ ........................................................................
2
R
obin Hood meets his match
This is based on the ballad ‘Robin Hood
and Little John’. The two strangers
meet in the forest, and a seven-feettall Little John challenges Robin to a
fight. They become the best of friends.
........................................................................
3
R
obin Hood and Will Scarlet
According to the ballad ‘Robin
Hood and Will Scarlet’, Will Scarlet
was a finely dressed man and a
skilled fighter. When Robin discovers
Will is his nephew, he invites
him to join him in the forest.
........................................................................
4
Robin Hood and Friar Tuck
In the 16th Century ballad and play,
Robin meets a fat friar who plays
a trick on him, much to Robin’s
amusement. They become close
companions over the years.
............................................................
6
Robin Hood. Master of disguise
In the ballad ‘Robin Hood and Guy
of Gisborne,’ Robin and Guy have
a huge sword fight – the fiercest
Sherwood Forest had ever seen. And
the victor? Robin Hood of course!
10
In the ballad ‘Robin Hood and the
Golden Arrow’, the Sheriff of Nottingham
sets a trap for Robin. Robin Hood is
not fazed and deceives the Sheriff,
taking home a prestigious prize.
Robin
Hood meets
Richard the Lionheart
King Richard speaks admiringly
about the tales he has heard of
Robin Hood. From Nottingham, he
travels to Sherwood to meet Robin.
He stays with Robin and his men
........................................................................ in the forest for many hours
7 Maid Marian joins the outlaws
........................................................................
In the 17th Century ballad ‘Robin
11 The Sheriff of Nottingham
Hood and Maid Marian’, Marian
meets his end
disguises herself and retreats to the
forest to help save Robin from being
Robin attends an archery tournament
captured by Guy of Gisborne. It’s
concealing his identity from the
the first ballad to feature Marian.
Sheriff. He is discovered and makes
for cover in the forest. The Sheriff gives
........................................................................ chase but Robin is prepared, killing
his arch enemy with a single shot.
8 Robin Hood and the beggar
Robin Hood swaps clothes with a
friendly beggar so Robin could see
what the life of a beggar was like.
He comes across many deceitful
characters in the forest but makes
sure they pay for their bad deeds.
........................................................................
12
obin Hood dies. The legend
R
lives on
‘Robin Hood’s death’ is the saddest of
all the ballads. Living into ripe old
age, he’s betrayed by a relative. The
........................................................................ Merry Men bury Robin, tending to his
grave for many years and passing
the story of their friend down the
generations, keeping his legend alive.
........................................................................
the robin hood trail
www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/robinhood
7
6
8
9
10 11
12
5
4
3
2
1
Other places
of interest
Nottingham Castle
City of Caves
Nottingham Contemporary
For anyone in search of the Robin Hood
legend, Nottingham Castle is where
you begin your journey. The historic
castle now exists as a ducal mansion
which doubles up as a museum and
art gallery, hosting some of the world’s
most prestigious touring exhibitions
including Andy Warhol, British Art Show
and Pre-Raphaelite collections. The
Castle is a great place for children,
with a mediaeval-style playground in
the grounds with covered picnic area.
Enter and explore a whole new world
in the caves underneath the city and
descend into the dark depths of the
original Anglo-Saxon tunnels. See
how these caves have been used
and adapted over the centuries by
local people to escape and take
refuge from the world above.
Nottingham Contemporary is one of
the city’s most iconic new buildings
and offers something a little different
to locals and visitors alike.
www.mynottingham.gov.uk/
nottinghamcastle
This set of man-made caves are open
to visitors, accessed via an entrance in
the city’s Broadmarsh shopping centre.
One of the largest contemporary art
galleries in England, it stands on
one of Nottingham’s most historic
sites, in the heart of the city’s famous
Lace Market. It has four galleries,
a performance and film space, a
gift shop and modern café-bar.
www.cityofcaves.com
www.nottinghamcontemporary.org
Galleries of Justice
Museum of Nottingham Life
at Brewhouse Yard
The museum takes you back through
over 300 years of Nottingham history
and sits next to the famous Ye Olde
Trip to Jerusalem pub, the oldest
pub in England. With five 17th
Century cottages on the site and
even a reconstructed WWII air raid
shelter, you really feel like you’ve
stepped back in time. While you’re
there, you can discover a system of
man-made caves built into the rock,
once used by former residents.
England’s history of crime and
punishment is a shocking one. As
are the sinister and grim stories
of Nottingham’s outlaws, brought
to life in the building where they
were judged, imprisoned and
even as late as 1878, executed.
Based at Nottingham’s old courthouse
and jail, there are many ways to
explore the museum, with free
exhibitions, audio & performance
led tours and a themed café.
www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk
www.mynottingham.gov.
uk/brewhouseyard
For more about any of
these attractions, visit
the Tourist Information
Centre just off the Old
Market Square or
call 0844 4775678.
The Council House and
Old Market Square
The Council House is a magnificent
building, with a 200ft high dome
that dominates the city skyline,
and the chimes from the Council
House bell, known as Little John,
can be heard for miles around.
The Council House stands on the
impressive Old Market Square – the
second largest public square in
England after Trafalgar Square. The
Square hosts some of the city’s best
outdoor events and music concerts.
www.mynottingham.gov.uk/
oldmarketsquare
Robin Hood
in the movies
In over 100 years of cinema history,
few characters have graced the
silver screen as many times as
Robin Hood. Our hero has appeared
in 90 films stretching back to the
original 1908 British silent movie
‘Robin Hood and his Merry Men’.
Between 1908 and 1913, five Robin
Hood feature films were released in
Britain and the USA and during every
decade of the 20th Century, at least one
major Robin Hood film was released.
The first Robin Hood film to get
the Hollywood treatment was the
1922 ‘Robin Hood’ starring Douglas
Fairbanks. It was the most expensive
film of its time, with Fairbanks
playing Robin as a romantic hero.
In 1938, Errol Flynn’s ‘The Adventures
of Robin Hood’ cost $2m to make, won
three Academy Awards and catapulted
Flynn to screen legend status.
Between 1940 and 1972, 12 major Robin
Hood films were made, including the
Walt Disney classic, as well as a spinoff of the TV series ‘The Adventures
of Robin Hood’. Disney’s Robin Hood
pulled in the biggest box office total
of any Disney film up until that time.
Five more Robin Hood films were
released during the 1970s and
1980s but it was in 1991 that our
hero recaptured his superstar
status with ‘Robin Hood Prince of
Thieves’, starring Kevin Costner.
In 2010 the latest Robin Hood film was
released, starring Russell Crowe as the
leading man. A different take on the
story, it still includes all our favourites
– the evil Sheriff of Nottingham,
Maid Marian and the Merry Men.
Find out
What’s On
IN NOTTINGHAM
mynottingham.gov.uk/
whatson
Events, Exhibitions, Live Music,
Theatre and much more…