Edwinstowe is a small and ancient village situated in Nottinghamshire, England (UK). It is a good location for exploring Sherwood Forest, offering hotels, bed and breakfast facilities, and a variety of reasonable eating establishments. The centre of the village is only a short walk from the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.

Edwinstowe is in the heart of the Sherwood Forest area. Also, many other localities mentioned in the Robin Hood stories are within comfortable reach of Edwinstowe. For these reasons, we (my wife and I) recently visited Edwinstowe in March 2003 to gather pictures and information for this web site. We stayed at "Marion's Manor" in Edwinstowe for three nights bed and breakfast and we thoroughly enjoyed it! See "WHERE TO STAY IN AND AROUND EDWINSTOWE" below.

The photographs below were taken during our recent visit (March 2003) to Edwinstowe. Click on a small picture to access a larger version.

Walking from the crossroads at the centre of Edwinstowe towards Sherwood Forest and the Visitor Centre. The route is along the well-marked path at the left which heads off into the forest.
The "Robin Hood meets Maid Marian" statue located outside of Edwinstowe Public Library.
A close-up of Robin Hood.
A close-up of Maid Marian.
The road bridge over the River Maun at Edwinstowe. This is at the other end of the village from the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.
The sign outside of St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe. It reads, "This is the church where legend has it that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were married. Original church built 633 AD. The present building was begun c.1175 AD."
A general view of St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe.
The porch at St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe.
General interior view of St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe.
Another interior view of St. Mary's Church, Edwinstowe.
A sign of the type often seen in Robin Hood country! This one indicates the car park near the Maid Marian restaurant, Edwinstowe.
This sign indicates the Maid Marian restaurant, Edwinstowe. This is where we ate for the few days we stayed in Edwinstowe. It was very convenient because it was situated along our route as we walked to and from Sherwood Forest.

Edwinstowe was named after Edwin, King of Northumbria. At that time, the kingdom of Northumbria extended from the River Trent to Edinburgh, Scotland (Edwin's Borough). Edwin married a Christian princess (Ethelburga) from Kent, which was the first Christian kingdom in England.

Princess Ethelburga was accompanied to York by Bishop Paulinus, who was instrumental in the conversion to Christianity of King Edwin and many of his court, including a pagan High Priest known as Coifi. They were all baptised on Easter Sunday 625 A.D. in the small church which at that time preceded the existing York Minster. The site of Edwin's baptism can still be seen in the crypt.

In 633 A.D. King Edwin marched south to fight King Penda of Mercia. Edwin was killed in the ensuing battle, which took place near Edwinstowe at a small hamlet called Cuckney (then known as Hatfield). To prevent his body falling into enemy hands, King Edwin's friends buried it secretly in a clearing in the forest, intending to return later to give him a proper burial.

When they eventually returned, his followers discovered that people were now calling him Saint Edwin, so they built a small wooden chapel on the spot and installed a priest. So began Edwinstowe - "the holy place of Edwin."

In 1066 Edenstou was royal land, part of the Saxon king's manor of nearby Mansfield. The Domesday survey of 1086 records that in Edenstou was a church, a priest and four bordars (slaves who worked on the priest's lands. Edwinstowe stood well within the roughly 20 miles long by 7 miles wide Royal Forest of Sherwood.

The villagers were bound by harsh forest laws, and courts to punish offenders were held frequently. It was a punishable offence to damage living timber in any way, and all dogs taken into the forest had to be "lawed," i.e. three claws had to be removed from each front foot.

Death and dismemberment was the punishment for deer poaching and these harsh laws were not changed until 1217 A.D. In 1334 A.D. the Vicar of Edwinstowe, John de Roystan, was convicted of "venison trespasses," a major crime.

Edwinstowe villagers had various privileges regarding the forest e.g. gathering brushwood and letting their pigs root for acorns. They were also free born and could marry without permission.

Much had changed by 1600 A.D. Queen Elizabeth owned parts of Sherwood forest but it was no longer regarded as a hunting forest. Parts were cleared for farming and the oaks were felled for ship building. In 1609 A.D. there were 49,909 oaks in the forest areas just north of Edwinstowe. By 1790 there were only 10,117! Ship building accounted for the best timber although 10 oaks were used for the roof of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.

Many of the Crown Lands were sold to various people for other purposes e.g. for use as a park attached to a large estate. Alms houses and other properties were built and endowed for the poor during this period, as were a succession of schools and churches.

By 1801, the total population of Edwinstowe had risen to 506! Piped water was available in Edwinstowe for the first time in 1905. In 1912, more than thirty Suffragettes (including Mrs. Emeline Pankhurst) visited Edwinstowe. In 1925 the nearby Thoresby Colliery began operation with benefits to the village.

During World War II the nearby forest housed one of the largest ammunition dumps in the U.K. The area was also used for tank training and for housing thousands of troops prior to D-Day. The facilities were used later for prisoners of war.

Edwinstowe continues to expand, the population having risen now to more than six thousand (1987).

Popular belief has it that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were married in this church! Certain it is that some sort of church was certainly here during any of the periods ascribed to Robin Hood. The original wooden building was replaced in 1175 A.D. by a small stone structure which was added to as time went on.

The tower is Norman and the porch, south door and font date from the 14th century. The broach spire was added to the Norman tower in 1400 A.D and the eight ornamental turrets date from around 1600 A.D. The spire has been struck by lightning three times and in 1672 A.D. it collapsed, causing considerable damage. The villagers successfully petitioned King Charles II to be allowed to sell timber from the Royal Forest to raise money for repairs.

The 2.5 acre churchyard, the largest in North Nottinghamshire, contains some interesting graves. The grave of the Reverend Ebenezer Cobham Brewer is near the tower. He is best known for "Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," but he wrote more than thirty other books on Classics, History, Geography, Religion and Science. In old age, Brewer lived with his son-in-law the Reverend Hayman, at the old vicarage (now demolished).

A curious feature inside the church is the so-called "Forest Measure" set into the wall to the left of the memorial to the Rigley and Ward families. This is believed to be an ancient rule for measuring land but it bears no relation to any known unit of measurement except the fathom. Perhaps it was used by those who came here to measure off the Sherwood Forest oak for ship-building.

* Bolsover Castle. 14 miles. A castle has been here since Norman times. Charles I was entertained here.

* Clumber Park. 6 miles. 4,000 acres of parkland, woodland and lake. Only the church and stables remain from the original house.

* Cresswell Crags. 12 miles. A limestone gorge on the Derbyshire/Notts border. Visitor center and fossils of prehistoric man. Associations with Robin Hood.

* Hardwicke Hall. 14 miles. One of the finest Elizabethan buildings in Britain with extensive parklands.

* Laxton. 7 miles. The only English village which still practices medieval strip-farming. Visitor Centre and laxton Trail.

* Newark. 16 miles. Historic market town on the River Trent. King John died in the castle, now a ruin.

* Newstead Abbey. 16 miles. Originally a 12th century Augustine Priory. Home of the poet Lord Byron.

* Nottingham. 19 miles. It still has a sheriff!

* Scrooby. 19 miles. Part of the district where the Pilgrim Fathers originated.

There are many other features of Edwinstowe and its surroundings which I have not been able to cover because of my limited stay. The whole area, especially Edwinstowe and Sherwood Forest, is well worth exploring.

MARION'S MANOR: Marion's Manor is owned by a real Marion (spelled with an "o" rather than an "a" as in Maid Marian). It is not a real manor but a large house with an annexe. The guest rooms are 1 double and 2 twin, all en-suite. Colour TV, hair-dryer and tea/coffee making facilities are provided. Cycle lock-up and private off-street parking are available. Please contact:

Marion's Manor, Ollerton Road, Edwinstowe, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG21 9QF
Telephone: 01623 822135 or email: me@myhouse2001.fsnet.co.uk

GENERAL TOURIST INFORMATION: contact www.nottinghamshiretourism.co.uk

I have other web sites you may like to visit:

For the remarkable 1957 Morris Oxford De Luxe visit  The 1957 Morris Oxford

For the neglected British classic car the Standard Vanguard visit  The Standard Vanguard

For thoughts on the meaning of life visit  God's Viewpoint

For the McHenry Rural Health Care charity visit McHenry Rural Health Care

Home address of this page: http://www.johnw55.freeuk.com/robin

Page created 6 April 2003 with Notepad (for the HTML) and Photopaint 8 (for the graphics)

Page updated 5 May 2008