Robin Hood Deep Pit (Forest of Dean)
[[File:|thumb|right|500px|At the pit site / Courtesy Aditnow forum user 'Lipsi'.]]
By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-10-22. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-10-22. Photo courtesy Aditnow forum user 'Lipsi'. Thanks also to forum administrator Simon Lowe.
Robin Hood Deep Pit was one of the two pits operated at the Robin Hood Iron Mine in the Forest of Dean. The mine is said to have started in 1871 and was certainly in operation by 1884, but IRHB is not aware if the deep pit dates from that time.
According to Wikipedia's article on the village of Coleford, the mine began operation in 1871,[1] and this may well be correct though no source is cited. The mine was certainly in operation by 1884, probably by 1880, for it is shown on a 6" O.S. map of the area published in 1884, based on surveying carried out 1879-80 (see Maps below). Some revisions of the map label the site "Robinhood Iron Mine", while others have "Robin Hood Iron Pit". The deep pit thus seems to have been within the roughly square area shown on the maps. If this is the case, the mine's land pit must have been located elsewhere. See further IRHB's page on the Robin Hood Iron Mine.Template:PnItemQry
Gazetteers
- Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 293-311.
Maps
- 25" O.S. map Monmouthshire XV.2 (c. 1882; surveyed 1880). (No Copy in NLS)]
- 25" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.15 (1895; surveyed 1879-80)
- 25" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.15 (1902; rev. 1900)
- 25" O.S. map Monmouthshire XV.2 (1902; rev. 1900) (georeferenced).
- 25" O.S. map Monmouthshire XV.2 (1902; rev. 1900)
- 25" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.15 (1922; rev. 1920)
- 6" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.SE (1884; surveyed 1878-80)
- 6" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.SE (1903; rev. 1900) (georeferenced).
- 6" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX.SE (1903; rev. 1900)
- 6" O.S. map Monmouthshire XV.NW (1903; rev. 1900)
- 6" O.S. map Monmouthshire XV (1924; rev. 1918)
- 6" O.S. map Gloucestershire XXX (1924; rev. 1920-21)
- Map of the Railways of the Forest of Dean (1894); pit included on Staunton section as "Robin Hood".
Background
- Transcript of interview with 88 year old former miner Mervyn Fox, conducted 30 Oct. 2015 by Jonathan Wright, sound Engineer: Jason Griffiths
- Wikipedia: Staunton, near Coleford, Gloucestershire.
Notes