Who shot the Sheriff?

Monday, 30 August 2010 08:00

Well, the title seems apt for Nottingham!

Nottingham trades on its association with Robin Hood, but, as I remember it, the Sheriff lived in Nottingham. So, after we had finished at Nottingham Archives, we went in search of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Sadly we had missed the Robin Hood Beer Festival!

The city centre itself is a typical mish mash of architecture, as are most cities that were heavily bombed in WWll. Some old buildings remain, but without a map they are hard to find. We did not look very hard for the Tourist Information Centre, where we could have picked up a map. We only had limited time so, after some retail therapy, we followed our noses towards the castle.

One old building that has withstood the test of time (just) is the timber framed "Sevens Building".

Moved to its current location from the market area in the late 1960s it is one of three surviving Medieval houses in Nottingham. In its time it has had domestic and commercial purposes, housing homes and businesses including tailors,  lace makers and butchers.

Nottingham Castle stands above the city on Castle Rock.

A castle has stood here since Norman times, an important strategic location near the Trent and the Royal Hunting grounds in the Derbyshire Peaks, Sherwood and Barnsdale Forests. It was a Royal Residence until the Civil War. After the execution of Charles l, it was razed to the ground to prevent further use.

Gatehouse

In the late 1670s, a "Ducal Mansion" was built in the ruins. This was burned down in 1832 and then restored in 1875. Edward Vll (then the Prince of Wales) opened a Museum there in 1878. The Gatehouse and some walling were retained as a garden and today it is still in use as a museum. The gatehouse is not the original and is mainly Edwardian, but below it the retaining wall still has visible medieval masonry.

Gardens and gate

Gardens and Ducal Mansion

We found Robin Hood and his Merry Men

These statues and plaques commemorate the visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in June during Nottingham's Quincentenary celebrations.

"Robin Hood shooting his last arrow" and "Robin Hood and Little John fighting on a bridge"

"King Richard the Lion Heart joins the hands of Marian and Robin Hood" and "Robin, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck with hounds fighting Guy Gisborne"

I am sure there is more to see in Nottingham but our time had run out. We made our way back to Epiphany to relax and watch other narrowboats pass us on their way towards the River Trent. The next day it would be our turn to make our way back on to the river and then it was "decision time"!