Thoresby Hall and Robin Hood.

 

  “In the heart of Sherwood Forest” was a phrase once used to promote Thoresby Hall and attract visitors. As the area on which stands Robin Hood’s Tree, the Major Oak, was then owned and cared for by Thoresby Estate, it made for a successful advertising campaign. Hence the statue of Robin Hood in the grounds, carvings of him by the library fireplace, and the Robin Hood theme to the gifts and toys on offer when open to the public. However, it has to be said, any suggested links between a Pierrepont family who came to England via the Norman Conquest, and a Saxon outlaw, can be dismissed as rather fanciful.

The above postcard shows the Tussaud-Birt statue of Robin Hood situated in its original location outside the main entrance to Thoresby Hall. The statue was sculpted and sited here in 1948. In the 1950s Robin Hood's bow was stolen on at least one occasion for its lead value. Security issues became much more of an issue later on in the 1980s / 90s as ownership of the Hall changed hands, making a relocation of the statue necessary. Today the statue is situated in the courtyard outside Thoresby Art Gallery, just 200 yards from its original site.

Above: At different times of the year the staff of the Thoresby Courtyard are known to decorate Robin Hood according to events. Here he supported the English World Cup Squad. At other times he has been known to dress as Santa Claus.

Below: Robin Hood's Tree, the Major Oak, had already been a popular attraction for many decades before 1969 when Thoresby Estate leased the land to Nottingham County Council for the purpose of a more organised approach to the lucrative tourist trade. These Robin Hood statues stand in the nearby Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, Edwinstowe, and are only included here because of that connection. The area is now owned by the RSPB.