Friar Tuck photo album.

 

DATES (top to bottom): 1938, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954.

Friar Tuck's Well, Fountaindale, Lynhurst.

 

 Fountaindale is a small moat in the region of Lyndhurst, near Blidworth. Formed by a natural source of spring water, it was established as a Holy place long before the days of Robin Hood or even Christianity. Once the site of a Pagan Shrine, the moat was formed in order to protect its relics. Those relics were moved from the shrine and buried by a loyal priest to safeguard them from invading Vikings. They've never been found. During later Christian times a similar small shrine or chapel here was said to be maintained by Friar Tuck, perhaps attached to nearby Newstead Abbey (then known as Saint Mary's Priory.)

It was Will Scarlet who alerted Robin Hood to Friar Tuck's prowess with both bow and sword. Robin, feeling he must have such an accomplished fighter in his band of outlaws, was so wary of Tuck, he even wore armour before making his trip to Lynhurst, probably setting out from nearby Thieves Wood. The story of their meeting, carrying each other back and forth over the river, became one of the most popular stories associated with the legend.

 Top: "Wolfshead, the Legend of Robin Hood", 1969. Middle & below: "The Story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men", 1952.

Bell Inn, Nottingham, and Friar Tuck.

 

The Bell Inn is situated at the opposite end of Nottingham Market Square from the Council House. This area became known as Beastmarket Hill, because of the open air cattle market that once occupied the Market Square. But decades before that it was known as Friar Row, due to the boundary wall of a Carmelite Friary.

The Carmelites originated from a congregation of hermits which formed the Order of Our Lady of Carmel, on Mount Carmel in the 12th Century. After being forced to leave Mount Carmel, they moved to Europe, coming to England in 1240. The first English Carmelite Friary was built in Kent, and their habits were white, hence the nickname of the "White Friars".

The Carmelite Friary in Nottingham was established c.1272 between Friar Lane and St. James's Street, even though the Friars had already been in the town some years beforehand. By February 1539, when the Friary closed, only the prior, Roger Cappe, and six friars were still in residence. In 1541 the Crown granted all rights to the building to James Sturley of Nottingham, (probably a descendant of the Sturley who had been joint founder of the Friary in 1272.) During the road widening works of 1923, several significant archeological items were found, together with skeletons, proving the site also incorporated a burial ground for the Friary.

The Bell Inn stands where the Carmelite Friary once stood. That Friary is one of the places often named in the tourism documents as a possible home to Friar Tuck, but is a far less likely a candidate for that role than Foutaindale, Lynhurst.

Above: "The Story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men" (1952). "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves" (1991).

Newstead Abbey and Friar Tuck

Newstead Abbey is famous the world over as the one time (brief) home of Lord Byron. But the most cursory glance at its famous facade tells us it was originally a priory. Founded in 1163, Newstead Abbey was home to the Augustan Canons, and allegedly Friar Tuck himself. The spring at Newstead is even said to have been cursed by the Canons when Friar Tuck's outlaw activities lead to his dismissal.

Sir John Byron purchased Newstead Abbey, soon after Henry 8th dissolved the monastery in 1593. John Byron demolished much of the priory to build a great mansion, but the iconic 13th century west front was left standing, and in fact the interior of the mansion itself incorporates certain features from the original building. Much later the infamous 5th Lord Byron, the romantic poet often referred to as the "wicked Byron", had the surrounding area landscaped but sadly neglected the building itself.

Above: "The Adventures of Robin Hood", 1938. Below: "Tales of Robin Hood", 1951.