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The Grave Of Robin Hood

wrong thread?

Shouldn't this be on the archeology bit--can you merge them both Stu?

Thanks Barbara
 
Grave mistakes

Going off at a slight tangent; In Hathersage in Derbyshire there is 'Little John's Grave' - it has an 'official' sign, and appears on post cards and souvenirs available in local shops.
It looks like the grave of a very tall person, having markers at the head and foot, but apparently what it really is is 'The lawful perch', the offical length of a 'perch', an old measurment used to determine the size of field boundaries etc.

I currently live in Bristol, and there are a few Robin Hood place names around here, Robin Hoods Hill for example. This seems way out of his usual beat; one of the most original bits of Fortean theorising I ever came across was in a tract (now lost, alas) that claimed it was nothing to do with the outlaw but was derived from the ancient Egyptian 'Ra bin nod', 'Hill of the sunrise', and was evidence that Bristol was in fact an Atlantean colony. Or something.
 
barbara green

Hi there Avon----that is very interesting what you say about the Egyption thing--I will look into it.
Rearding Little John's Grave it is at Hathersage in Derbyshire at the church of St Michael's and All Angels. It is kept in beautiful condition by the Ancient Order of Forresters. A giant thigh bone was found there at one time,though what happened to it or the rest of the body I don't know.
There is some more Robin Hood stuff on the archeology thread and also on the following wesbites

http://www.robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

http://groups.msn.com/RobinHood'sGrave

http://groups.msn.com/SecretsoftheGrave

Best wishes Barbara
 
Melvyn Bragg had a program about Robin Hood on Radio 4 this morning on In Our Time I think it may be replayed this (thursday 30th October) evening at around 9:30 and downloadable from the site linked above.

Very interesting.
 
more robinhooders

Hi BREAKFAST

Thanks for the info--the Robin Hood of Yorkshire--and his grave--seems to be getting off the ground at long last--it has taken a long time but it is good to know that the hard work of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society over the years, is at last paying off.

Barbara

More info on

robinhoodyorkshire.co.uk

http://groups.msn.com/SecretsoftheGrave

http://groups.msn.com/RobinHood'sGrave

and booklist available
 
update on the situation

Just a bit more news to get up to date!
Iheard the programme on the radio just by accident as it happened, on my way to work. It was very good--Professor Knight is a very nice man-- though there weren't any new discoveries and NOTHING about the grave!!!!
Anyway--what is new!
Another expert is on Richard and Judy on Monday evening,so watch this space!
And Tony Robinson has at last written to me,and said he enjoyed my books.Its a pity his researchers thought that the YRHS ,I have heard, was "dodgy" in some way,it would have been nice to have told him some of the local stories ,but maybe they had heard about the spooky stuff. However, thats like shooting the messenger, we just wrote about it as of special interest.

There is another Robin Hood thread somewhere on these boards on earth mysteries, so they really want joining together but I don't know how to do it!! Help!!

To view an amazing gallery of grave pictures look in


http://groups.msn.com/RobinHoodsGrave


Barbara
 
It seems the Robin Hood debate has been hotting-up recently and has even made it as far as Parliament.

Whose outlaw is it anyway?

By Brady Haran
BBC News Online, East Midlands

If you believe he existed, Robin Hood fired his last arrow between 650 and 750 years ago.
Yet the famous outlaw still makes headlines and was recently the subject of debate in the House of Commons.

MPs have been fighting a strange custody battle on behalf of two English regions - Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.

Nottinghamshire is the home of Sherwood Forest and a place with obvious links to Robin's arch enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

But Yorkshire is becoming increasingly vocal about its links to the famous outlaw.

In its most recent attempt to claim Robin for Yorkshire, a new airport has taken his name.

Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport will be built at the former RAF base in Finningley, South Yorkshire.

BBC News Online spoke with Richard Rutherford-Moore, an author and tour guide who specialises in Robin Hood.

A Yorkshireman who now lives in Nottinghamshire, Mr Rutherford-Moore accuses Yorkshire of "jumping on the bandwagon".

He says: "Yorkshire has done nothing to retain and promote the Robin Hood legend for 200 years.

"Nottinghamshire people made the financial and personal investment and the county is best known throughout the rest of the UK and world-wide through Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest."

In a bid to silence "publicity seekers" who question Nottinghamshire's Robin Hood heritage, Mr Rutherford-Moore took BBC News Online on a tour of the county.

Rather than visiting obvious Robin Hood sites, such as the forest and Nottingham Castle, he revealed locations which most people are unaware of.

Here are just a few of them:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin's stables

In more recent Robin Hood traditions, this cave near Papplewick is where Robin Hood kept his horse.

Mr Rutherford-Moore is reluctant to reveal its exact location because he fears it will become too popular with history buffs.

However he is quick to point out that the stories of Robin Hood riding a horse are probably more recent.

Movies like Kevin Costner's Robin Hood Prince of Thieves have reinforced the belief that the outlaw rode a horse.

In fact, Mr Rutherford-Moore thinks it is more likely the cave was originally a hermitage.

He says: "A holy man would have spent his time here in the solace of the woods."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The famous battle

Among the best-known of the Robin Hood stories is the battle between Robin and Little John.

Mr Rutherford-Moore says the site of it was most likely here, on the busy A60.

He says: "The story goes that where the River Leen used to run into the valley in North Nottinghamshire is where the fight between Robin Hood and Little John took place."

The fight was said to have taken place over a tree, which had been chopped down to make a bridge.

Unfortunately the tree has been replaced by the busy Mansfield Road.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will Scarlet's demise

The town of Blidworth has many associations with Robin Hood.

It is said Maid Marian stayed in a cottage there before being escorted to Edwinstowe by Will Scarlet to be married to Robin Hood.

And it is in this graveyard that Will Scarlet is said to be buried.

Mr Rutherford-Moore says: "Will has a tradition of being related to Robin Hood - in one case his nephew, which means Robin had a sister."

Not wanting to be one-sided, Mr Rutherford-Moore pointed out three sites in Yorkshire which have links with Robin Hood:

Kirklees Priory which is said to be home to Robin Hood's grave

Fountains Abbey, which has links with Friar Tuck

Barnsdale claims several "tourist sites", but is most popularly known for Robin Hood's Well.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/3671879.stm (See also links on right hand side for earlier stories)
Click to expand...
 
The Kirklees Vampire

Havbe just found out that The Kirklees Vampire (at Robin Hood's Grave) is now on exhibition at the Yorkl Dungeon. My friend and I are going to see it tomorrow!
Also a new msn board has started about it

http://groups.msn.com/TheKirkleesVampire

barbara

can't wait!Its just as big a surprise to me as anyone else
 
robin hood update

Just to update on the Robin Hood situation, we have been down to London and met the merry men of muswell hill, and our new patron David Farrant of the British psychic and occupt society.We have several new members of the Yorkshire Robin Hood society and more reports of the paranormal taking place around the gravesite.Investigations and still taking place, the last one taking place at the summer soltice for which we are still awaiting a report about(from dog of war).
Confirmation of the reports from the brighouse librarian have been established recently and of the stopping of turning the Kirklees Cornmill into Robin Hood hamelt in 1989 or thereabouts by certain officials. Also some stuff about a vampire in london has been found in an old first edition book, information about this is presently undergoing tests.

barbara
 
the haunted grave of robin hood

Hi--I'm sure I started this on here once before but can't find it. However, these are new independent testimonies so it doesn't matter.
From VL. This is from a lady who e mailed me recently. I could not seem to get my reply back to her, ---the e mail won't work--so will just base the account on her e mail without further specification.
The lady visited Kirklees Priory Gatehouse in the erly 1990's.She had read about it in an American magazine and she was actually allowed to visit the gatehouse but not go inside. The lady is a Spiritualist clairvoyant and described Robin thus:
"hE WAS A VERY SHORT MAN ABOUT 5 FT-6-7 AND FAIR HAIR CUT ALMOST AT SHOULDER LEVEL. HE WAS A BIT HEAVY SET BUT NOT FAT."

Hmmmm(my comments!)

The lady comments that she does not like the idea of the gatehouse being turned into flats, as the priory was built over with a house. She then makes some comments about the situation which I will not repeat as it is a bit personal.

When she got to the gave VL found the presence of 2 noisy little boys not conducive to communicating with the spirit world. She then queried the request of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society
to have the grave blessed by a clergyman or a bishop as Yorkshire is the home of Spiritualism.

(I didn't know that!)

She suggested Derek Acorah might be able to help and on her advice we have written to this gentleman.

barbara



***please note David Farrant is now the patron of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society and Catherine Fearnley the secretary****
 
change of venue!!!

I have transferred this thread to Ghosts as it is now using new evidence about the paranormal side of things

barbara
 
Merged back in - N&Q can cope with most Forteana and it makes sense not to have two threads essentially about the same topic (it only leads to confusion, etc.).

Emps
 
more evidence

I was taking to a man last nigh from Huddersfield. He gave me this account:

Some years ago he went to Robin Hoods GRAVE WITH A lady friend. While at the gravesite he turned to say soemthing to her and to his amazement he saw that she was a dressed as a nun in a long greyish robe and veil. This could have been the undyed wool of the Cisterican habit.The she turned back to herself. She knew nothing of the transformation.
He also told me about a friend he knew(he gave the mans name but I will keep it to myself unless I get written testimony from the man as I have asked for ) This man was the son of a farm worker at Kirklees and had the run of the place but he would never go near the grave after having a very frightening experience thre when he felt a presence. as though someone was behind him, though he saw nothing.

My informant also gave me the information that when the Kirklees cORNMILL was being converted into a pub in the late 1980s, the owner/developer Mr Akins wished to turn it into Robin Hood hamlet and had it all planned out.
I know this myself and can give the name as it was in the Brighouse Echo. The friend who told me this confirmed that Mr Akins was stopped from doing this, and I myself know it to be so, because when I tried to find out from Mr Akins he woudl not answer my questions as to why he had suddently changed his plans.

There was also the library lady who spoke to me recently in Brighouse. She had promised to help one of our group with his film "The Life and Times of Robin Hood" which was to be about our local hero at Kirklees. Inexplicably she sent him a fax the next day and said she could not help him. She now told me that she also had been "stopped"
by her boss at the library. I wrote about thsi in Secrets of the Grave but this is the first time I have had it confirmed.
It would be interesting to hear from the Batley Art Collge students who were also going to help in the film but were visisted by the men in black and threatened not to go ahead.


barbara
 
Robin Hood Grave Mystery

Hi Barbara,
Hope that you are keeping well. I wonder why it is that nearly everyone who requests to go and visit Robin Hood's Grave gets turned down, including well known MP's but yet when I wrote to Lady Armitage for permission to take photographs, I got a hand written letter from Lady Armitage herself to say that I can go up as and when to take photographs. It just seems odd that all these people get refused and I can go when I like. Just me rambling. But it is a mystery.

See you tomorrow anyway at The Three Nuns.

Catherine
 
Re: the haunted grave of robin hood

barbara green said:
"hE WAS A VERY SHORT MAN ABOUT 5 FT-6-7
Click to expand...

OI........ 5ft 7in is not very short thank you,(its just slightly below average), and I'm an archer............*short indeed,cheek of some people, mutter, mutter*
 
Hi Michael

Hi Michael,
I know its probably off topic but I know a guy who is even shorter then yourself, in fact he is shorter then me and I'm 5ft 3 inches. This friend of mine is about 5ft 2. So not all guys are over 6ft.

How far would you say that a longbow arrow could have been shot in the middle ages? to get back onto topic. There have been various experiments done with different results, I would interested to learn of your thoughts on this matter.

Robin Hood's Grave is situated 600yrds away from the Gatehouse, most people claim that this is too far for the arrow to fly. But some people say that he is not buried where the actual tomb is but a little below. It depends on which variation of the legend you believe in.

Catherine Fearnley
Regional Secretary for The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society/The British Psychic and Occult Society/The Highgate Vampire Society
 
With a 100lb plus longbow, top archers using a 52gm (roughly 2 ounce,heavy for todays arrows) war arrow can pass 200yds, obviously using a lighter arrow you could get futher, but 52gm war arrow is standard for medievil bows.
 
Arrow Distances

Dear Michael,
Thank you for your kind reply. It is interesting to learn about the various distances that a longbow arrow can shoot. Obviously it puts pay to the fact that Robin is buried where he is allegedly supposed to be buried but that does not mean he can't be buried further down. Some people think that the grave is and probably right in saying so that it is a victorian folly to commemorate the death of Robin Hood and that the original Robin Hood's Grave is in Hartshead Church.

I took some photo's of the original gravestone yesterday, so lets hope these turn out, although my camera was playing up again. Funny thing is it played up when I was in a certain area of London too but can't go into details on here but I will post a message up on our own boards.

Thank you again Michael.

Catherine.
 
the haunting of robin hoods grave

Hi everyone again,
I hope to continue with the documented hauntings around rhg as soon as I have more time. Work keeps me very busy, so have to fit things in between. But to comment briefly on Catherine's posts, as for the short 5.7 man, that is what the writer wrote to me, her words,however we feel they might be interpreted. Unforunately her e mail address is not reponding for me to find out more.
Re visitng RHG THE whole matter seems to reply upon whim, and what side of bed someone might get out of. It is an unfair and very hotly disputed area. Those who are allowed "permission to visit ma'am" in general seem to be those who are from the academic community who have a certain standing that it would be unwise to upset. The others are from the media who might be given strict conditions to access or have to pay for the privelege. Goodness knows how "Scream Team" got permission to hold a vigil. In the eighties a vampire group asked permission to hold a vigil but got short shift. So did the Church of England for that matter who wanted to bless the grave. PRINCESS ANNE OF COURSE WaS ALLOWED TO VISIT WHEN SHE DROPPED IN ON HER HELICOPTER!!! The Yorkshire Robin Hood Society was always refused permission to do research
In and among individials were given permission but not allowed to film, but many of them, including the academics in particular, seemed to feel it their bounden duty to turna gainst less fortunate people who hAd been refused and to turn the situation into a praises for the landowner and castigating those who upset her by writing to ask to visit. This clearly does not make sense and was nothing other than obsequious cap doffing. It was also unsafe practise for an old lady to take strange young men up to such a lonely spot on her own. One such was a vampire hunter from Holland, though of course the landowner did not know he was such at the time!!!
It is a mystery WHY cATHERINE WAS ALLOWED permission to visit the site as she says herself. But thats the way this situation is,

barbara
 
The Death of Robin Hood

I am adapting the Death of Robin Hood from Spirit of the Greenwood (my sequel to Secretsof the GRAVE) ON the message board

http://groups.msn.com/TheGatehousethatDrippedBlood

although written as historical fiction it is based on the available information and tries to interpret the findings as to why Robin was murdered by being bled to death by a nun !!.

I will continue the witness testimonies to the hauntings on here.

When I get time--haha!!

barbara
 
To continue the archery thing (well, this IS Robin Hood!) most of us archers find we are limited by the weight we can draw not our distance from the ground.... so it's upper body strength and a good solid base to brace on not having enough clearance for a longer bow.

Look at the popularity of archery amongst people who use a wheelchair.

Kath

ps 5' 5.5" and allegedly above average geight for glaswegian males :)
 
robin hoods bow

Hi folks--well at the end of the day it isn't very likely that teh bow story is true, its just a bit of poetic licence from teh ballad Robin Hood his Deth and Burial( of which tehre are two versions.)


The Haunting of Robin Hoods Grave by Roger Williams.

I had two experiences neat the site of Robin Hoods Grave in kirklees park. The first was in the early nineteen sixties while walking there with a friend.It wa the first time I had seen tehg rave and as we were walking away from it I saw a figure standing about twenty yards to the left of the grave site.Well we had air rifles with us and in that autumn of 1963 that was a no no and I IMMEDIATELY thought it wa the gamekeeper. But this figure started to move towards us and I saw it ws a woman. I say move because she seemed to kind of glide
towards us and there wasn't any noise of feet walking over the dry fallen leaves, twigs and dry bracken on the ground. As she came within five yards of us we saw her very clearly. Her eyes seemed very dark and she looked mad,annoyed at us.Then she moved on past us,didn't look back and then she was gone. We realised that what we had just seen wasn't a real person at all and it shook us up a lot. It was 2.30 pm and it was a bright sunny day.
The second time I saw the apparition was in 1972 again in the afternoon. I am a musician and my bass guitarist Phil Marsden asked asked me if I knew where Robin Hood's Grave was and would I take him up to see it. The day was chilly but nice. It was Saturday afternoon.As we were coming away from the grave I bent down to tie my shoelace.Then Phil said "Hey Rog,there's a woman coming" As I looked up I saw the exact thing I had seen that day in 1963 except this day she stopped not six feet from us. I'll never forget the experince.
She word a long off white dress kind of squarish round the neck with long sleeves.The dress ahd soem kind of aptttern on it.But again it was her eyes I remember most, dark mad set in her pale face. She looked at me and then at Phil so close I could have touched the hem of her dress as I was stillcrouched down messing with my shoelace. Then she moved on righ past us and was gone. Well I though Phil was gonna
drop right there he had gone really white.We got out of the woods really fast

Both time I SAW THIS APPARITION things started to happen in my house,noises bangings and a feeling like I was being watched.And the lad I was up thre with in 1963 got the same and so did Phil Marsden. So you see I would reallya dvise people to be careful.
Better still not to go up there till the site has been blessed.Wild horses wouldn't drag me up there again. You have my permission to reprint this article elswhere.

Rober Williams, Bradley,Huddersfield West Yorkshire
 
another ghostly encounter

In November 1995 myself and a photographer friend Sue were researching a feature for the Yorkshire life magazine, "I was amazed to be told, having never got even so much as a reply from the Yorkshire Life about Robin Hood of Yorkshire.
Judith continued, "We had permission from Lady Armytage "(!!!)
"to photograph the grave. My camera jammed to I let Sue who was spreadeagled on the floor taking shots. As I came out of the Copse I stood for a while when I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Thinking it was one of the groundsmen I turned round but there was no one thre. Then my bag and camera which were slung across my shoulder began to get increasingly heavy, then they were tugged and I felt myself being pulled to the ground. I shouted "Get away!" and the tugging stopped immeditaly/Sue had heard me shout and came out of the clearing--stangely enough my cammera now decided to work whereas it had jammed when I tried to photograph the grave.
Sue, howevr, was takens erioulsy ill a week later and was taken to Pinderfields Hospital with a mystery illness akin to meningitis.She was paralysed from the neck downwards. Thanfully she made a complete reovery. Iwrote about this experience to the Spenborough Guardian."

That I was amazed when I read this account is an understatement. I was even more flabbergasted
when I saw the story in the Yorkshire Life 1996 January.
Not only had these two reporters been allowed to do their research unhindered, but both articles were full of material from the Yorkshire Robin Hood files, the celebrated vampire hunt of 1992 with the hag with red eyes , and Roger Williams account!!!! It was pure chance that I had even set eyes on the articles, and Yorkshire Life had always ignored any correspondence sent by the YRHS.
I did not mind our stuff getting into print, and also received permission to publish the above account when I tracked the writers down, but it just seemed queer that its okay for certain people to write about Robin Hood but not others!!

barbara
 
latest trip to robins grave

A trip to Robin Hoods Grave took place last night by a local paranormal group equipped with the latest ghost hunting technology. It will be a few days before they have a verdict from what the cameras picked up. The situation of the grave was much as before,hidden beneath a dense layer of bushes and brambles and in a derelict ccondition.
The spectre is reported to be a white figure--maybe the evil prioress,though no reports of seeing Robin have been made as far as I know,

Barbara
 
robin hoods grave exorcism

I know there is a robin hoods grave thread somewhere but I cant find my way back to it!!!!! Anyway fresh news is that a fully fledged exorcism took place at the grave on wednesday april 20th conducted by the british psychic and occult society who visisted Yorkshire specially to perform the ceremony. I know we havent to put links on so when I get a bit more tiem I will write out the full report.

barbara
 
thanks

Thanks for finding the link for me ! I will try to keep it safe, like in favourites in case I need to post any more !

barbara
 
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