Barnsdale

Area of South Yorkshire, England

For the garden created by broadcaster Geoff Hamilton, see Barnsdale Gardens.

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Human settlement in England

Barnsdale

Robin Hood's Well is on the east of the southbound carriageway of the A1, about 1 mile south of Barnsdale Bar.

Barnsdale

Location within South Yorkshire

OS grid reference| SE508136
Metropolitan borough|

* City of Doncaster
* City of Wakefield

Metropolitan county|

* South Yorkshire
* West Yorkshire

Region|

* Yorkshire and the Humber

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| DONCASTER
Postcode district| DN6
Dialling code| 01302
Police| South Yorkshire
Fire| South Yorkshire
Ambulance| Yorkshire

List of places

England
Yorkshire

53°37′03″N 1°13′53″W﻿ / ﻿53.617533°N 1.231403°W﻿ / 53.617533; -1.231403

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.[1] Barnsdale is commonly associated with Robin Hood.

## Geography

[edit]

Barnsdale historically was in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[1] As there is no village or parish with the name Barnsdale, the area does not have clear boundaries.[2][3]

Barnsdale Bar is the site of the junction of the A1 (the historic Great North Road), the A639, and Wrangbrook Lane, Woodfield Road and Long Lane (junction 38 of the A1). Bar refers to where there was once a toll gate, now a service station lies just north of the junction, about eight miles north-northwest of Doncaster.[4] There are three limestone quarries nearby, and archeological digs at the site have turned up materials dating back to the Iron Age and Neolithic eras.[5]

Barnsdale Forest refers to the area south of Barnsdale Bar. Despite the name, archeological evidences suggests historically the area was predominantly an agricultural landscape of enclosures, trackways and fields; rather than being covered with trees. The name may derive from the medieval legal sense of "Forest" meaning an area designated for hunting.[4] Maps from 1579 and 1610 show small enclosed areas of woodland in Rutland, one of which is labelled Barnsdale, that were created for hunting and would have been enclosed by earth banks and wooden palings.[2]

### Notable structures

[edit]

* At Barnsdale Bar there is a 1,226 yards (0.697 miles) railway tunnel, part of the former Hull and Barnsley Railway that closed in 1959.[6]
* The model village of Woodlands lies about 4 miles south of Barnsdale Bar between the Roman Road and the A638 (the "Great North Road").

## Connections between the Barnsdale area and the Robin Hood legend

[edit]

Golf course in Barnsdale

In the earliest medieval ballads of Robin Hood from the fifteenth century, the outlaw is said to have made Barnsdale Forest his abode and base of operations (for example, in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisbourne", and in "A Gest of Robyn Hode"[7]). Notable locations within the forest of Barnsdale which are directly related to the Robin Hood legend include Wentbridge and Campsall.

There is a Robin Hood's Well, a small monument (apparently designed by John Vanbrugh) lying next to the A1 between the Red House junction and Barnsdale Bar, between the villages of Skelbrooke and Burghwallis. However, it was moved around 1960 when the junction was being constructed, so the real well is actually beneath the A1.[8]

Another well – Little John's Well – lies to the west of Hampole, between Wrangbrook and Skelbrooke (but closer to the latter). It is also called Little John's Cave. Situated by the A638, to the west of Barnsdale, it was once engraved with the outlaw's name, but is now derelict.

South of Barnsdale Bar, the A1 follows the old Roman Ermine Street – north of Barnsdale Bar the A639 follows the course of the Roman Road more closely whilst the A1 follows a more recent route. Several villages and geological features along this route are mentioned in the early ballads of Robin Hood as being places the outlaw visited. TDoncaster, farther south, is not mentioned, but is referred to in the names of David of Doncaster, a Merry Man in Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow, and Roger of Doncaster, a villain involved in Robin's murder in A Gest of Robyn Hode and Robin Hood's Death.

In Hanging Wood, also known as Highfields Wood, between Hampole and Highfields, 53°33′39.96″N 1°11′58.68″W﻿ / ﻿53.5611000°N 1.1996333°W﻿ / 53.5611000; -1.1996333 a small stream known as Robin Hood's stream springs from underneath the Roman Road and runs into the Pick Burn.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Smith, Albert Hugh (1961). The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire. EPN Society. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011.
2. ^ a b Sue Howelett (2008). "Barnsdale". The Heritage of Rutland Water (pdf). ISBN 9780907464419.
3. ^ Robert Fortunaso (29 June 2010). "Barnsdale". RobinHoodLegend.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
4. ^ a b Richard Morris (2008). "In Barnsdale Forest". Yorkshire: A Lyrical History of England's Greatest County. ISBN 9781780229096.
5. ^ "The Magnesian Limestone in South and West Yorkshire". Archeological Services, West Yorkshire Joint Services. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
6. ^ "Barnsdale Tunnel". ForgottenRelics.org. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
7. ^ Stephen Knight; Thomas Ohlgren, eds. (1997). "A Gest of Robyn Hood". Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales.
8. ^ "Robin Hood's Well (Skellow)". britannia.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2006.

* v
* t
* e

Robin Hood

Universe

| Characters|

| Main|

* Robin Hood
* Maid Marian
* The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield
* Sheriff of Nottingham
* Guy of Gisbourne
* Prince John
* Bishop of Hereford
* Richard at the Lee
* King Richard

|

Merry Men|

* Little John
* Much the Miller's Son
* Will Scarlet
* Arthur a Bland
* David of Doncaster
* Will Stutely
* Friar Tuck
* Alan-a-Dale
* Gilbert Whitehand

Settings|

* Sherwood Forest
* Major Oak
* Nottingham
* Loxley
* St Mary's Abbey, York
* Barnsdale
* Wentbridge

Media

| Screen|

| Film|

* Robin Hood (1912)
* Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
* The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946)
* The Prince of Thieves (1948)
* Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950)
* Tales of Robin Hood (1951)
* The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
* The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)
* Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
* The Triumph of Robin Hood (1962)
* A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967)
* Long Live Robin Hood (1971)
* Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1973)
* The Arrows of Robin Hood (1975)
* Robin and Marian (1976)
* Aaj Ka Robin Hood (1988)
* O Mistério de Robin Hood (1990)
* Robin Hood (1991)
* Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
* Princess of Thieves (2001)
* Robin Hood (2010)
* Robin Hood (2018)

|

TV|

* Robin Hood (1953)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955)
* The Legend of Robin Hood (1968)
* The Legend of Robin Hood (1975)
* Robin of Sherwood (1984)
* The New Adventures of Robin Hood (1997)
* Robin Hood (2006,
* episodes,
* characters)
* Robyn Hood (2023)

Animated|

* Robin Hood Makes Good (1939)
* Rabbit Hood (1949)
* Robin Hood Daffy (1958)
* Robin Hoodwinked (1958)
* Rocket Robin Hood (1966)
* Robin Hood (1973)
* Robin Hood (1990)
* Young Robin Hood (1991)
* Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (2012)
* Sherwood (2019)

Parody|

* About Seven Brothers (1968)
* When Things Were Rotten (1975)
* The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood (1984)
* Maid Marian and Her Merry Men (1989)
* Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Alternate
settings|

* Mexicali Rose (1939 film)
* Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964 film)
* Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985 Tamil film)
* Nyayam Meere Cheppali (1985 Telugu film)
* Robin of Locksley (1996 film)
* Catch Me Now (2008 Chinese TV series)
* Alyas Robin Hood (2016 Philippines TV series)

Popular culture|

* Statue of Robin Hood
* Robin Hood (DC Comics character)
* Robin Hood (Disney character)

Child ballads|

* 8: Erlinton
* 102: Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter
* 103: Rose the Red and White Lily
* 115: Robyn and Gandeleyn
* 117: A Gest of Robyn Hode
* 118: Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
* 119: Robin Hood and the Monk
* 120: Robin Hood's Death
* 121: Robin Hood and the Potter
* 123: Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar
* 124: The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield
* 126: Robin Hood and the Tanner
* 127: Robin Hood and the Tinker
* 128: Robin Hood Newly Revived
* 129: Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon
* 130: Robin Hood and the Scotchman
* 131: Robin Hood and the Ranger
* 132: The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
* 136: Robin Hood's Delight
* 138: Robin Hood and Allan-a-Dale
* 139: Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham
* 140: Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires
* 141: Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly
* 142: Little John a Begging
* 143: Robin Hood and the Bishop
* 144: Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
* 145: Robin Hood and Queen Katherine
* 146: Robin Hood's Chase
* 147: Robin Hood's Golden Prize
* 148: The Noble Fisherman
* 151: The King's Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood
* 152: Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow
* 153: Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight
* 154: A True Tale of Robin Hood

Stage / theatre|

* The Downfall and The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington (1598 and 1601 plays)
* The Merrie Men of Sherwood Forest (1871 operetta)
* Robin Hood (1890 De Koven opera)
* The Foresters (1892 play)
* Twang!! (1965 musical parody)
* Robin Hood (1934 Tippett opera)
* Robin Hood (1998 ballet)
* Robin des Bois (2013 musical)

Video games|

* Robin of Sherwood: The Touchstones of Rhiannon (1985)
* Robin of the Wood (1985)
* Super Robin Hood (1986)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1991)
* Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood (1991)
* Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (2002)
* Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown (2003)
* Volume (2015)
* Hood: Outlaws & Legends (2021)

Literature|

* A Gest of Robyn Hode (probably 15th century)
* Ivanhoe (1819)
* Maid Marian (1822)
* The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883)
* Bows against the Barons (1934)
* The Once and Future King (1958)
* The Outlaws of Sherwood (1988)
* Through a Dark Mist (1991)
* Lady of the Forest (1992)
* In the Shadow of Midnight (1994)
* The Last Arrow (1997)
* Lady of Sherwood (1999)
* King Raven Trilogy (2006)

Music|

* Legend (1984 soundtrack)
* "Robin (The Hooded Man)"
* "Love" (song)
* "Not in Nottingham" (song)
* "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (song)
* The Tale of Gamelyn

Alan Dale|

* Outlaw (2009)
* Holy Warrior (2010)
* King's Man (2011)
* The Outlaw Chronicles (2012-2016)

Related|

* Miss Robin Hood
* Son of the Guardsman
* The Son of Robin Hood
* The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
* Robin Hood's Larder
* Robin Hood Morality Test
* "Robot of Sherwood"
* "Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men"
* Once Upon a Time
* The Tales of Robin Hood (former Nottingham attraction)
* Once Upon a Studio

* Category

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