Robin Hood's Well (Fountains Abbey): Difference between revisions

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[[Fountains Abbey (Ripon)|Fountains Abbey]] is the home of the "Curtal Friar" and the scene of the main action of the ballad of [[Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar]] (Version A in MS of c. 1650, version B first printed 1663). Within or very close to the abbey grounds are two places named after Robin Hood: [[Robin Hood's Wood (Fountains Abbey)|Robin Hood's Wood]] and Robin Hood's Well. The covering of the latter is built into a slope in [[Robin Hood's Wood (Fountains Abbey)|Robin Hood's Wood]] at the southern boundary of the abbey grounds. Dobson & Taylor refer to it as the "well now associated with Friar Tuck's combat with, and ducking of, Robin Hood".<ref>{{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 310.</ref> It may have been named Robin Hood's Well to commemorate the said combat, though we have no evidence of this, but it should be stressed that the water into which Robin Hood was ducked in the ballad was not the trickle from this little well but the Skell which runs by (and once ran under) the abbey.
[[Fountains Abbey (Ripon)|Fountains Abbey]] is the home of the "Curtal Friar" and the scene of the main action of the ballad of [[Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar]] (Version A in MS of c. 1650, version B first printed 1663). Within or very close to the abbey grounds are two places named after Robin Hood: [[Robin Hood's Wood (Fountains Abbey)|Robin Hood's Wood]] and Robin Hood's Well. The covering of the latter is built into a slope in [[Robin Hood's Wood (Fountains Abbey)|Robin Hood's Wood]] at the southern boundary of the abbey grounds. Dobson & Taylor refer to it as the "well now associated with Friar Tuck's combat with, and ducking of, Robin Hood".<ref>{{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 310.</ref> It may have been named Robin Hood's Well to commemorate the said combat, though we have no evidence of this, but it should be stressed that the water into which Robin Hood was ducked in the ballad was not the trickle from this little well but the Skell which runs by (and once ran under) the abbey.


The well-spring and the name Robin Hood's Well date back at least to 1734,<ref>{{:Smith, Albert Hugh 1961a}}, pt. V, p. 192.</ref> and underground lead piping is said to have been found leading from the site of the well to the abbey, which if correct is a clear indication that the well existed in medieval times. However, according to notes found among the Walbran papers at York Minster Library<ref>Cf. [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MNA144287&resourceID=6 National Trust HBSMR 30143*0: Robin Hood's Well] and see {{:Lefroy, William Chambers 1891a}}, pp. 121-22.</ref> the present well cover is of somewhat more recent construction, for it was built, with stones from the ruins of Fountains Abbey, after Walter Scott visited the site and suggested to the owner of the Studley Roger estate, Elizabeth Sophia Lawrence, that she let a well covering or well house construct. Scott apparently wrote a short poem for use as an inscription (see Allusion 1832 below), but there is no indication it was ever displayed at the site. Mrs Lawrence, who inherited the estate in 1808, died in 1845; Walter Scott died in 1832, so his visit would have taken place some time in the period 1808-32. It does not appear to be mentioned in any of Scott's letters<ref>[http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/etexts/etexts/letters.html Walter Scott's letters.]</ref> or in J. G. Lockhart's ten volume biography of Scott,<ref>{{:Lockhart, John Gibson 1839a}}.</ref> but of course this does not necessarily mean it never happened. The construction of such a well house in this period would have been quite in keeping with the contemporary craze for follies<ref>See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly Wikipedia: Folly]</ref> among well-heeled landowners. The well covering "is built of coursed squared gritstone and comprises a round chamfered arch approximately 2 metres high under a hood-mould with spiral stops, and short flanking walls protecting a spring in a rock-cut recess".<ref>English Heritage's [http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1091884 PastScape: Robin Hood's Well.]</ref> A much more detailed technical description of the structure can be found at the National Trust's website.<ref>National Trust website, as previously cited.</ref> Note that the lines attributed to Walter Scott have also been cited as applying to [[Robin Hood's Well (Fountains Earth)|Robin Hood's Well at Fountains Earth]], an upland pasture area that was owned by Fountains Abbey but is located more than 12 km west of the abbey ruins.{{PnItemQry}}
The well-spring and the name Robin Hood's Well date back at least to 1734,<ref>{{:Smith, Albert Hugh 1961a}}, pt. V, p. 192.</ref> and underground lead piping is said to have been found leading from the site of the well to the abbey, which if correct is a clear indication that the well existed in medieval times. However, according to notes found among the Walbran papers at York Minster Library<ref>Cf. [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MNA144287&resourceID=6 National Trust HBSMR 30143*0: Robin Hood's Well] and see {{:Lefroy, William Chambers 1891a}}, pp. 121-22.</ref> the present well cover is of somewhat more recent construction, for it was built, with stones from the ruins of Fountains Abbey, after Walter Scott visited the site and suggested to the owner of the Studley Roger estate, Elizabeth Sophia Lawrence, that she let a well covering or well house construct. Scott apparently wrote a short poem for use as an inscription (see Allusion 1832 below), but there is no indication it was ever displayed at the site. Mrs Lawrence, who inherited the estate in 1808, died in 1845; Walter Scott died in 1832, so his visit would have taken place some time in the period 1808-32. It does not appear to be mentioned in any of Scott's letters<ref>[http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/etexts/etexts/letters.html Walter Scott's letters.]</ref> or in J. G. Lockhart's ten volume biography of Scott,<ref>{{:Lockhart, John Gibson 1839a}}.</ref> but of course this does not necessarily mean it never happened. The construction of such a well house in this period would have been quite in keeping with the contemporary craze for follies<ref>See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly Wikipedia: Folly]</ref> among well-heeled landowners. The well covering "is built of coursed squared gritstone and comprises a round chamfered arch approximately 2 metres high under a hood-mould with spiral stops, and short flanking walls protecting a spring in a rock-cut recess".<ref>English Heritage's [http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1091884 PastScape: Robin Hood's Well.]</ref> A much more detailed technical description of the structure can be found at the National Trust's website.<ref>National Trust website, as previously cited.</ref> Note that the lines attributed to Walter Scott have also been cited as applying to [[Robin Hood's Well (Fountains Earth)|Robin Hood's Well at Fountains Earth]], an upland pasture area that was owned by Fountains Abbey but is located more than 12 km west of the abbey ruins.{{PlaceNamesItemQuery}}
== Gazetteers ==
== Gazetteers ==
* {{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 310
* {{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 310

Revision as of 00:11, 6 January 2021

Locality
Coordinate 54.109795, -1.578145
Adm. div. West Riding of Yorkshire
Vicinity Fountains Abbey, c. 75 m SE of the Abbot's House
Type Monument
Interest Robin Hood name
Status Extant
First Record 1734
Loading map...
Robin Hood's Well.
Robin Hood's Well at Fountains Abbey / Matthew Hillier.
Robin Hood's Well at Fountains Abbey / Thomas R. Macquoid, no later than 1883.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-07-22. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-06. Photo: Matthew Hillier.

Fountains Abbey is the home of the "Curtal Friar" and the scene of the main action of the ballad of Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar (Version A in MS of c. 1650, version B first printed 1663). Within or very close to the abbey grounds are two places named after Robin Hood: Robin Hood's Wood and Robin Hood's Well. The covering of the latter is built into a slope in Robin Hood's Wood at the southern boundary of the abbey grounds. Dobson & Taylor refer to it as the "well now associated with Friar Tuck's combat with, and ducking of, Robin Hood".[1] It may have been named Robin Hood's Well to commemorate the said combat, though we have no evidence of this, but it should be stressed that the water into which Robin Hood was ducked in the ballad was not the trickle from this little well but the Skell which runs by (and once ran under) the abbey.

The well-spring and the name Robin Hood's Well date back at least to 1734,[2] and underground lead piping is said to have been found leading from the site of the well to the abbey, which if correct is a clear indication that the well existed in medieval times. However, according to notes found among the Walbran papers at York Minster Library[3] the present well cover is of somewhat more recent construction, for it was built, with stones from the ruins of Fountains Abbey, after Walter Scott visited the site and suggested to the owner of the Studley Roger estate, Elizabeth Sophia Lawrence, that she let a well covering or well house construct. Scott apparently wrote a short poem for use as an inscription (see Allusion 1832 below), but there is no indication it was ever displayed at the site. Mrs Lawrence, who inherited the estate in 1808, died in 1845; Walter Scott died in 1832, so his visit would have taken place some time in the period 1808-32. It does not appear to be mentioned in any of Scott's letters[4] or in J. G. Lockhart's ten volume biography of Scott,[5] but of course this does not necessarily mean it never happened. The construction of such a well house in this period would have been quite in keeping with the contemporary craze for follies[6] among well-heeled landowners. The well covering "is built of coursed squared gritstone and comprises a round chamfered arch approximately 2 metres high under a hood-mould with spiral stops, and short flanking walls protecting a spring in a rock-cut recess".[7] A much more detailed technical description of the structure can be found at the National Trust's website.[8] Note that the lines attributed to Walter Scott have also been cited as applying to Robin Hood's Well at Fountains Earth, an upland pasture area that was owned by Fountains Abbey but is located more than 12 km west of the abbey ruins.Template:PlaceNamesItemQuery

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