Robin Hood Bar (Baslow)

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
Revision as of 23:52, 7 February 2021 by Henryfunk (talk | contribs)
Locality
Coordinate 53.2442, -1.5814
Adm. div. Derbyshire
Vicinity South side of A619, hamlet of Robin Hood, Baslow
Type Area
Interest Robin Hood name
Status Defunct?
First Record 1847
Loading map...
The area formerly (?) known as 'Robin Hood Bar'.
The former (?) Robin Hood Bar, Baslow /

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-02-07. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-02-07.

'Robin Hood Bar' was the name of a strip of land between the A619 and Heathy Lea Brook in the hamlet of Robin Hood, Baslow.

In the 1847 tithe award for the 'Township of Baslow in the Parish of Bakewell' are listed five plots of land under the collective name of 'Robin Hood Bar', with the duke of Devonshire, i.e. William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790–1858)[1] as landowner and Thomas Savage as occupier:

  • plot #432: state of cultivation: 'Rough Pasture'; area: 1 acre 3 roods and 24 perches (7689.03 m2)
  • plot #433: state of cultivation: 'Rough Pasture'; area: 1 acre and 25 perches (4679.18 m2)
  • plot #434: state of cultivation: 'Oats'; area: 1 acre 2 roods and 26 perches (6727.9 m2)
  • plot #436: state of cultivation: 'Meadow'; area: 1 acre 2 roods and 24 perches (6677.31 m2)
  • plot #437: state of cultivation: 'Meadow'; area: 2 acre and 7 perches (8270.76 m2).[2]


At its closest point this is no more than c. 60 metres south of the Robin Hood Inn. The fact that this area does not include the plot north of the B6050 and the A619 on which the pub is situated, together with the states of cultivation of the plots, argues against the place-name element 'Bar' referring to the public house. It is of course conceivable that Thomas Savage, the occupier of these plots, was also the publican at the Robin Hood and that the strip of land acquired its name through this indirect connection with the public house. However, in our experience this would be unusual just as one would not expect a country pub to be referred to as a 'Bar' at this time. The noun 'bar' may mean '[a] straight strip or stripe, narrow in proportion to its length, a broad line', and the area certainly is 'narrow in proportion to its length',[3] though it certainly cannot be described as straight (see map detail in the image gallery below with the area marked in colour). However, a better explanation is that 'bar' referred to the toll house of the Chesterfield & Hernstone Lane Head Turnpike Road,[4] which was located more or less on the grass area immediately west of B6050 as it leads north from the A619 to turn east and lead past the pub. 'Bar' would thus mean 'toll-house gate or barrier'.[5] Judging from the tithe kmap, the toll bar was situated just ten metres north of Robin Hood Bar.

Gazetteers

MS sources

  • 1847 tithe award for the 'Township of Baslow in the Parish of Bakewell', at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, image 009, #432-34, 436-37; and image 007, #365 (subscription required)
  • accompanying map, online at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, #432-34, 436-37; and image 007, #365 (subscription required).

Maps

Background

Also see

Notes

  1. Wikipedia: William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire.
  2. 1847 tithe award for the 'Township of Baslow in the Parish of Bakewell', at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, image 009, #432-34, 436-37 (subscription required); accompanying map, online at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, sub-image 001, #432-34, 436-37 (subscription required).
  3. OED, bar, n. 1, I, 5 a.
  4. 1847 tithe award for the 'Township of Baslow in the Parish of Bakewell', at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, image 007, #365 (subscription required); accompanying map, online at the Genealogist, piece 08, sub-piece 020, sub-image 001, #365 (subscription required).
  5. OED, bar, n. 1, II, 13 b.