I live in the middle of what used to be Robin Hood’s… well… hood. There are myths and legends about him and his Merry Men and their antics a stone’s throw from here – in any direction. Local pubs are named for him and his men. In the village close to where I grew up, The Robin Hood was a popular watering hole. In the other direction, The Little John pub (public house, licenced premises) still thrives.
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to get the chance to visit King’s Clipstone, just a few miles from my house. Back in Robin Hood’s day, the king had a number of hunting lodges dotted about the country and one of his favourites was at King’s Clipstone. It must have been an impressive sight, stood on top of a hill, overlooking a man-made lake for fishing, with hunting grounds and the forest beyond that.
All that's left is a pile of rubble
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_John%27s_Palace
It’s said that one day, while the king and his courtiers were living it large at the hunting lodge, a messenger came by, telling of Robin Hood and his men hiding out at Cresswell Crags a mere 8 or 9 miles and a relatively short ride away.
Me! With the compulsory hard hat for the visit into the caves where the public are not allowed for visits – lucky me!
Off the brave hunters went in order to capture Robin Hood and his gang. Cresswell Crags is a rocky outcrop that straddles the border between the shires of Nottingham and Derby – as an aside, yeah, we really do have shires in England and I really do live in what would be ‘Mid-shires’ in Tolkein’s world.
Cresswell Crags is quite famous here, it was a Neolithic settlement and remains of people and their cave paintings have been dated to 55,000 years ago – pretty cool huh?
There is a painting there… honest!
So, King John as he liked to be called, rode off with his hunting buddies and made haste to surprise Robin Hood and capture the outlaws.
Staircase leading into the caves
Unfortunately, the message had been a wily ruse and while the cat’s away, the mice will play. Robin Hood staged a daring robbery of the hunting lodge at King’s Clipstone and robbed the king blind!
All that’s left of the once-fine and impressive lodge is a ruin sat atop a hill. The lakes have gone, as has the forest, but the Time Team – an archaeological organisation – came to take a look.
http://sherwoodforesthistory.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/time-team-at-king-johns-palace-1.html
http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/2898.html
Pictures are my husband’s @s0u1 and I have full permission to use here.