England trip report -- Friday

[klwilliams]

On Friday, I went to Sherwood Forest. Yes, that Sherwood Forest. Just outside Nottingham. Most of the day could be subtitled Adventures in Public Transportation, but I got to spend two hours walking around in what's left of Sherwood, which is an oak and white birch forest with ferns in the undergrowth. It's beautiful. I had a Cornish pasty for lunch in the restaurant there, and got to see St. Mary's Church on the edge of the forest, which turns up in the ballads a couple of times.

Here's a picture of me in Sherwood Forest. That's Me. In Sherwood Forest. That is so incredibly cool. (I've been a Robin Hood fan since I was ten.)

Comments

[windrose.livejournal.com]

That is so cool. Thank you for sharing!

[fearless-em.livejournal.com]

Jealous!

(is that a split arrow in the tree behind you?)

totally awesome!

[nancytoday.livejournal.com]

It's amazing that Sherwood forest still exists, and that it was even ever a real place, and that you are right there...suddenly I realize that your profile picture isn't what you look like! Sneaky sneaky sneaky!

Now I'm going to have to go find out if Robinhood was real, too! Something tells me he was. Is there an arrow in a tree?

Re: totally awesome!

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I've been doing a lot of research on the subject, and I'm sorry to say that Robin Hood is an amalgamation of several men of his time, not one particular historical figure.

Re: totally awesome!

[nancytoday.livejournal.com]

sigh. I don't know what to say. I'll have to stick with my Superman fantasy, I suppose!

Thanks for saving me all that research time!

[galeni.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. The Greenwood! (Another Robin Hood fan here.)

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Ooh, keen!

[xrian.livejournal.com]

Doing some background research on the town of Stafford, BTW, I discovered that if you grew up in Staffordshire (not that far away) you would have "known" that Robin Hood was a local lad. There is a record of a Robert Hod or Od from the village of Locksley (Staffordshire has one, Nottinghamshire doesn't) which is on the borders of Needwood Forest in Staffordshire :) Obviously he just skipped over a shire or two as an adult :)

(Or so they say......)

It was in the midst of that research that I finally realized that "Sherwood" forest is simply the "Shire Wood" slurred together a bit. That was a *headdesk* moment.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

The older Robin Hood ballads take place in Yorkshire, near Barnstable Forest, though over the years they've spread over several large areas. Robin strikes a note in the hearts of many people, and his legend gets adopted and transformed.

[xrian.livejournal.com]

Of course.

I got this from a 19th-century book of Staffordshire "folklore," which tells you how seriously I'd take it (NOT). But it was a fun bit to pass on when I was talking about Stafford.

[skachick-101.livejournal.com]

awesome. I love Nottingham. Did you get a chance to go to the Robin Hood museum and ride through history? :P

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

No, nor did I get to see Nottingham Castle. My adventures in public transportation pretty much ate all the rest of the day.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

Absolutely Cool -- Sherwood Forest -- being IN it!

Happy Dance.

Love, C.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

And even more so, it LOOKS like the forest in my favorite Robin Hood so far, the early 1980's BBC Robin of Sherwood.

It was a very expensive series, due to the locations and the meticulous, lavish period mise en scene and sets. One of the many reasons it no longer continued.

Love, C.

[erzimagdalena.livejournal.com]

Did you get mugged by the feral ponies or have they all finally been rounded up?

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I didn't spot any. Maybe they were sleeping.

[erzimagdalena.livejournal.com]

My bad. The 'wild' ponies live in New Forest. After all these years England is a big green blur to me. :-)

[martianfencer.livejournal.com]

Oh cool. Thanks for posting the photo. I will be *very* happy to show Miss J the photo of the real live Sherwood Forest, as I've currently got her reading Robin Hood legends for schoolwork.

For the origin of Robin Hood, you (as in y'all) might be interested in listenening to "Dating Robyn Hode", a podcast episode from a series on ancient and medieval history. It's at http://www.sportell.com/historyepisodes.html. (The podcasters are SCA members living in Germany.)

[christymarx.livejournal.com]

I loved strolling through Sherwood Forest. Some of those massive oaks are truly awe-inspiring. I took a tour through the limestone tunnels that run beneath Nottingham Castle and I visited the ancient pub built into a cave.

I had put all of those things into my Robin Hood computer game years before I ever got to see them in person!

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I didn't get to see Nottingham Castle, and I haven't found a good source on what it looks like and what's inside it. Any suggestions?

[christymarx.livejournal.com]

When I was researching the game, I contacted the Nottingham Museum. They had all sorts of great reference that I was able to have shipped to me, such as a map of the original castle and town.

[darcyjavanne.livejournal.com]

You lucky woman, you! I passed up a chance to go to Sherwood Forest many years ago when I traveled in England. Thanks for sharing the picture. I can pretend that's me in the photo...

[edanam.livejournal.com]

So, back in 2001 when we were over in Nottingham for the wedding of Hovey's best friend.... the house of the parents of the bride backed up to the Sherwood Forest. Really. The backgate opened up to the Forest.

HOWEVER WE WERE THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOOF & MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK AND WEREN'T ALLOWED IN!!!!

So, needless to say, I'm rather jealous you got to go.

However, if I'd known you were going, I would have provided an introduction to Bryan and Brenda and you would have had a lovely time. :-)

Dani

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would have loved to meet someone who lived there.

[edanam.livejournal.com]

They are the epitamy of hospitality and are truly wonderful people.

Well, I've got contacts in Dublin and Nottingham for the next time you're over in the islands....