Robin Hood's Well

Description

Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1710 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, Robin Hood's Well is a finely cut ashlar Magnesian Limestone ornamental cover. Three sides feature arched entrances with pendant keystones. It was originally a stepwell fed by a spring beside a park wall, with the spring at the base of steps beneath the structure. In 1960, the spring was buried during Doncaster By-Pass construction, and the well was moved to a concrete foundation beside the highway. A 1993 rehabilitation added a stainless-steel frame to help preserve it.

History

The spring that would become Robin Hood's Well was first noted in 1622 by antiquarian Roger Dodsworth, and later mentioned in Richard Braithwaite's "Barnaby's Journal" and Ben Jonson's play "The Sad Shepherd: or a Tale of Robin Hood". Local inns used its supposedly restorative waters. The ballad "Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar" had already linked the outlaw to fountains, which may explain why the spring was originally named after him. However, the well itself was officially christened "Robin Hood's Well" by Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, who wanted to strengthen the area's claim as the true home of the Robin Hood legends.

When the well was still at its original site, an epigram in Latin was recorded by Roger Gale in John Nichols' topographical book. It translates roughly as: "I was once a nymph, the host of robbers in the forest. Alas, too well known to your companions, Robin. I am ashamed to have spilled the innocuous laces of criminals, and now I will carry the traveler's cup safe, in the honors of piety!

The count of Carlisle consecrated this house where you a guest eat, drink, and water." The site, located next to the Great North Road, appeared on maps in the tourist guide "British High Roads" and in Mostyn John Armstrong's "An actual survey of the Great Post Roads between London and Edinburgh". The stone structure now known as Robin Hood's Well was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1710 and built east of the Great North Road. Barnsdale Forest had been tied to the Robin Hood legend for centuries before this.

The well house was moved from its original spot during the construction of the Doncaster By-Pass in 1960, so it is no longer a functioning well and now sits on a solid concrete base. It was listed as a Grade II building on 5 June 1968, giving it legal protection for its historic value.