Lois Henderson
What’s in a Name?
The foundations of the town of Doncaster are grounded on the site of a 1st-century Roman fort, which was built at a crossing of the River Don. The suffix ‘caster’ derives from the Old English caster, referring to a military camp (“Doncaster”, [s.d.]).
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnsdale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>
Robin Hood’s well
Speaking about …
Stephen Wade (2010:11), in his book Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around Doncaster, tells of a 1930s travel writer who describes a slight detour, made in the region of Doncaster, to visit “a stone cupola supported on four columns … [it] was the well of Robin Hood”. Narrative ballads dating as far back as the second half of the 15th century told of the brave outlaw, Robin Hood, who is believed to have sought refuge in the surrounding area, and whose arch nemesis was the wickedly exploitative Sheriff of Nottingham. The area was, at the time, covered with dense forest, the home of numerous types of game, as well as deer, which drew the attention of many a royal hunting party.
Thanks for this introduction to Doncaster. Robin Hood’s well is an interesting little structure.
Thank you. Mmm … I’ve decided to leave my posts on England for the time being, and to focus on Cape Town instead, as I live quite close by. My parents were both born in England, but I’ve only ever spent 10 days there. If I were free to travel, I would definitely go there and explore to heart’s content, though.
Interesting post
Thank you!
Lots of movies about Robin Hood I’ve watched, which I did not notice was whether Doncaster was mentioned in all or one of those movies….
Makes one want to go back and revisit them :)?
Yup! Make curious…
This was interesting, and informative, I’ve always found Robin Hood fascinating.
Mmm … Maid Marian even more so! What about a movie of Maid Marian and her henchwomen?
Yes – Robin Hood must have got around a bit, taking refreshment at wells all over the country!
Haha! As common as men’s restrooms today?!!