Tales of Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men date back to the late 14th century. Their exploits in Sherwood Forest, robbing from the rich to give to the poor while eluding the clutches of the law led by the Sheriff of Nottingham, have always been a subject on which storytellers can capitalise.
The Robin Hood legend, propelled by stories and ballads written in subsequent centuries, has been prominent in popular culture ever since. Films and TV shows ensured Robin Hood remained a household name, although his star seems to have faded a little in the 21st century.
Oddly, Robin Hood place names don’t occur much in Nottinghamshire. The famous lone Sycamore Gap tree near Hadrian’s Wall, unlawfully cut down in 2023, was also known as the Robin Hood Tree. The most place names are in Yorkshire – such as Robin Hood’s Bay – suggesting that is where the legend originated.
NOTTINGHAM
Robin Hood gave his name to a race at Nottingham by 1836, if not earlier, and from then on fairly regularly until 2007. Is it possible that sponsors in later years didn’t want to be associated with an outlaw?
SOUTHWELL
He and Little John (qv) could always be stand-bys for race names elsewhere in Nottinghamshire, though Southwell had relatively few meetings before the all-weather track was constructed, and therefore less scope for Robin Hood races. But Robin was called in to give his name to flat races in 1992, 2009 and 2011, chases in its summer jumping programme from 1995-97 and a hurdle on 30 December 1999, a day of Robin Hood-themed races.