Robin Hood's Well is a historic building beside the

A1(M) motorway A1(M) is the designation given to a series of four separate motorway sections in England. Each section is an upgrade to a section of the A1, a major north–south road which connects London, the capital of England, with Edinburgh, the capit ...

in Skellow,

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. I ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It was originally built in 1710 as a well house over a spring alongside the old Great North Road, but the structure was moved to its present location alongside the Doncaster By-Pass in what is known as

Barnsdale Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is an area of South and West Yorkshire, England. The area falls within the modern-day districts of Doncaster and Wakefield. Barnsdale was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Barnsdale lies in the ...

(sometimes Barnsdale Forest).

Naming

The ballad "

Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar "Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar" is Child Ballad number 123, about Robin Hood. Synopsis This ballad is one of those appearing in later and later versions, the earlier one appearing in damaged form in the Percy manuscript but, as with Robin Hood ...

" gives the figure of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is de ...

a connection to fountains, which may account for the original naming of the spring where the well was established. The well itself was given the name "Robin Hood's Well" by

Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, PC (c. 1669 – 1 May 1738) was a British nobleman, peer, and statesman. Charles Howard was the eldest son of Edward Howard, 2nd Earl of Carlisle, and inherited his title on the death of his father in 169 ...

, who had the well named after the figure in an attempt to solidify the area's identity as the home of the legends.

Description

Robin Hood's Well is an ornamental well cover that was designed by

Sir John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restorat ...

in 1710 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. The stone that makes up the well cover is finely cut,

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitr ...

Magnesian Limestone The Magnesian Limestone is a suite of carbonate rocks in north-east England dating from the Permian period. The outcrop stretches from Nottingham northwards through Yorkshire and into County Durham where it is exposed along the coast between ...

. Three of its sides are made up of arched entrances with pendant keystones. Originally the well was built as a

stepwell Stepwells (also known as vavs or baori) are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from 7th to 19th century. So ...

sourced from a spring alongside a park wall, with the spring lying at the base of some steps under the structure. The spring was buried in 1960 during the construction of the Doncaster By-Pass and the well was relocated away from its original location, being placed alongside the highway on a concrete foundation. After its relocation the structure was rehabilitated in 1993 with a stainless-steel frame to ensure its prolonged survival.

History

The stone structure known today as Robin Hood's Well was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1710. It was erected to the east of the Great North Road. Barnsdale Forest had been associated with the legend of Robin Hood for centuries at the time of its construction, so Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle had the well named after the figure in an attempt to solidify the area's identity as the home of the myths. The well house was moved from its original location during the construction of the Doncaster By-Pass in 1960. Hence it is no longer a real well, and now rests upon a solid concrete base. After its relocation it was listed as a Grade II building on 5 June 1968, affording it protections due to its historic value.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Robin Hood's Well
Robin Hood's Well, Skellow

Grade II listed buildings in South Yorkshire Robin Hood Doncaster Water wells in England

Naming

Description

History

See also

References

External links