Hundreds join Robin Hood celebration in Loxley in bid to bring folk hero home to Sheffield

Hundreds of people joined together for an Outlaw’s Picnic event at Loxley Primary School which overlooks the valley reputed as the birthplace and stomping ground of the famous English folk hero.

It was organised by a band of merry partners campaigning to ‘bring Robin Hood home’ including Sensoria, the Culture and Creativity Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University and Loxley Primary School with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Graves Trust.

Jo Wingate of Sensoria, which has led the campaign, said around 400 people came.

She said: “It was really, really lovely. It went really well and had a great community spirit. We are really pleased with it as it is our first time doing an Outlaw’s Picnic.

“The whole Robin of Loxley project that we have been doing has really captured people’s imaginations so we have just been rolling with all of the enthusiasm.”

Medieval style tents and flags decorated the grounds and many people wore red and green or dressed in costume for the occasion.

Live music from folk artists and a hurdy-gurdy player, storytelling in the woods, archery and crafts took place throughout the free event which kicked off the four day bank holiday weekend.

Ron Clayton, local historian and long-time advocate for reclaiming Robin Hood, said: “I’m very impressed, I really am…This is a lovely mixture of celebrating the community, families, coming together, folklore and history. Where better than in Loxley, Sheffield?”

Into the Greenwood

Although Nottingham has claimed the hero as its own in modern times, the tradition that Robin Hood was from Sheffield can be traced back more than 500 years in documentary sources and even further back in oral tradition.

Specifically, the earliest known sources are consistent that Robin hailed from Loxley and point to a birthplace believed to be a stone’s throw from where the picnic took place.

In recent years Dan Eaton, a teacher at Loxley Primary School, discovered that place could be in the school’s own backyard which is now aptly called Robin Wood.

Mr Eaton gave a tour of the school’s woodland during the event following talks by himself; Dr David Clarke, co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend; and Dr Simon Heywood, who wrote the book South Yorkshire Folk Tales.

As a group followed through the trees he pointed out intriguing stone markers and ancient holly bushes he used as clues when investigating the outlaw’s origins.

Describing the site in a piece written about his research he said: “There remains an atmosphere and intensity to the place should you visit, and the knowledge that the people of Loxley had claimed this place as the birthplace of a national treasure through their own oral traditions makes it even more special to those of us who remain proudly associated to it today.”

The next step is inviting archaeologists to investigate further using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scanning.

Whether or not it can be categorically proven that the Robin Hood existed and was born here, he will always be a local hero in the hearts of Sheffielders and there is nowhere that celebrates this better than Loxley Primary School. The sharpshooting archer is emblazoned on the school’s badge, there is a statue of him beside the playground pointing an arrow across the valley and his stories have been used for teaching various subjects.

Dr Clarke, who has been instrumental in the campaign from the start, said it was time the rest of Sheffield and South Yorkshire marked their connections too.

He said: “The Outlaw’s Picnic was a great success and kudos to Sensoria and everyone involved in the event. It shows there is a great sense of community ownership of the legend in Loxley. And a feeling that we need something to mark that connection whether that be a statue, a walking trail or an annual event – on May Day, perhaps?

“I hope this will be just the start of a movement to bring Robin back home to one of the places he belongs. We should be proud of the contribution heritage and folklore can make to community identity and cohesion.

“I hope Sheffield Council and others with a stake in the region’s development, including our new South Yorkshire Mayor, will take this opportunity to promote South Yorkshire and Loxley as part of a Robin Hood heritage trail.”

Bringing Robin Hood home

The campaign started off the back of a myths and legends theme at Sensoria’s 2019 festival.

It gained momentum with an outdoor screening of the classic 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood at Stoneface Creative in Storrs Wood, a location-based app highlighting places in the region with connections to the tales and a headline hitting book.

Ms Wingate said it is a long-term and ambitious project that still has lots to come from various enthusiasts who joined in.

The recent event, which was delayed by Covid-19, brought together different parts of the campaign, both past and in progress.

A stall dressed in green showcased a maquette of a proposed statue of young Robin Hood, designed by local artist Anthony Bennett, which campaigners want to see built in a public spot in Loxley as a permanent reminder of his local roots.

On a neighbouring stall people could purchase a copy of the campaign’s book Reclaiming Robin Hood: Folklore & South Yorkshire’s Infamous Outlaw which explores the regional tales, trails and traditions.

This ruffled feathers in Nottingham and reignited the age-old debate about where the outlaw is from.

Media coverage of the book, which was launched near the end of last year, spread across regional and national newspapers and radio stations. It was even reported on news websites in Sweden and Belgium.

Among the stories, the Daily Star featured a photoshopped image of Robin Hood wearing a flat cap on its front page with the caption: “Ow do, Robin.”

MORE ROBIN HOOD: Sheffield campaigners debate Robin Hood’s origins with Nottingham: ‘We don’t want a blood feud’

Just a few weeks after being published, the first print run of 200 copies sold out.

Future projects include setting Sheffield and South Yorkshire as the scenes in a Robin Hood video game or virtual reality experience and a silver arrow trail marking key locations highlighted on the app such as Robin Wood.

The widespread enthusiasm and innumerable initiatives inspired by the campaign indicate that Robin Hood is finally on his way home to Sheffield for good.

Find out more and get involved

The book can be purchased here: https://www.sensoria.org.uk/sensoria-shop/reclaiming-robin-hood-booklet/

The app can be found here: https://www.dhi.ac.uk/robinhood/?fbclid=IwAR2lHxEa6GGHDh11azQtTo4TE_fOi0oYr-sh9R2lHBXroPSLvjNXNGRHS3I

A fundraiser is expected to take place for the statue of Robin Hood, more details to follow.