Robin Hood's Oak (Horksley Heath)

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
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Probable, approximate location of Robin Hood's Oak.
Bowen's map of Colchester, 1760. Robin Hood's Oak may have been one of the large trees indicated halfway between Colchester and Horksley. Only one, the Broad Oak, is named on the map (from Harrod, p. 24).

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-07. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-12-04.

Robin Hood's Oak once stood on a hill somewhere not very far from the NNW boundary of Colchester, on or near Horksley Heath, "right against Thomas a Bridge, on the left hand of Buttolph's Brook, after crossing the river at Mott's Bridge", localities that are not named on modern maps. It is mentioned in the records of the 1637 and 1671 perambulations in the MS Colchester Assembly Book. The latest local record evidence brought to light so far dates from 1691.

Quotations

Numerous other Oaks remained after the disafforesting of King's Wood; besides the King Oak and the Broad Oak, the Leet Rolls mention Great Oaks in East Street near the Gallows; and in the Perambulation of 1637 (in the Assembly Book for that year, and printed by Morant, p. 95), we have Robin Hood's Oak "right against Thomas a Bridge, on the left hand of Buttolph's Brook, after crossing the river at Mott's Bridge;" and in the Perambulation of 1671 it is added that the Oak stood "right on the pitch of the Hill," and afterwards in the latter Perambulation the Boundary is stated as going" inside the hedge of Soame Wood to Goresbridge, which is at the bottom of 'Beggars Oak' Heath, leading to Ardley Street from Gallow Green.[1]

The isolation of the heath may have encouraged highway robbery; Cut Throats Corner lies on London Road north of Westwood green, and Robin Hood's Oak, which lay next to the main road in 1691, perhaps marked either that or another dangerous spot.[2]

Allusions

Gazetteers

Sources

  • Essex Record Office D/DGw M34, rot. 26. Not seen.

Discussion

Notes


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