Images

Image of Robin Hood’s Stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Kammer

Taken 28th August 2003: Here’s a close-up of one of my photos, with arrows indicating apparent cup marks corresponding with those shown in the 1927 photo. If these are the missing cupmarks, then the National Monument Record is not correct, because it states that the marks are “buried in the soil beneath the concrete plinth”. I’ve contacted English Heritage, and they are looking into it.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image of Robin Hood’s Stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Kammer

Taken 28th August 2003: The top of the stone with vertical grooves caused by weathering/sacrificial blood/arrow sharpening (delete as applicable).

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image of Robin Hood’s Stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Kammer

Taken 28th August 2003: Robin Hood’s Stone viewed from the south east. This is the side of the stone that originally faced south.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Articles

Robin Hood’s Stone

Visited 28th August 2003: Robin Hood’s Stone is no longer in its original position, having been moved to accommodate housing development in 1928. It now stands behind railings on the corner where Archerfield Road meets Booker Avenue (the grid reference is less accurate than this description). An accompanying plaque explains the stone’s origins (see below).

The side of the stone that originally faced south now faces south east. It originally stood approximately 60 meters away to the north, presumably inconveniently situated where a nice ‘modern semi detached house was planned (otherwise it would have made a lovely garden feature). The top of the stone is weathered into vertical grooves.

Folklore

Robin Hood’s Stone
Standing Stone / Menhir

In a field, not far from Booker’s Cottages, there exists, or did so until a year or two ago, direct evidence of local archery in the shape of a large sandstone, almost five feet in height and eight feet in circumference, grooved and worn in an extraordinary manner, some of the grooves being eight inches deep and extending the entire length of the stone.

These dents or grooves were caused by the sharpening of arrows, the stone being fixed in the ground for that purpose. This was probably the site of the local butts, and the very worn condition of the stone indicates its use over a very long period or by a very large number of men.

In Henry the Eighth’s reign it was enacted that all male subjects, except judges and the clergy, were to practice archery, and butts were to be set up in every township. Similar to modern rifle butts, these old time butts were merely mounds of sod and earth, with targets affixed, the arrows being sharpened upon a fixed stone near at hand.

It may thus be safe to conjecture that the Allerton stone was used by Sir Richard Molyneux’s retainers before proceeding to Agincourt, where their skill and prowess gained the King’s favour for their master and the chief forestership of the Royal parks.

The stone is known as “Robin Hood’s Stone,” local tradition maintaining that the famous outlaw once sharpened his arrows here, but perhaps this is stretching credulity too far.

Hmm yes maybe. And how do you explain that the whole country isn’t full of these stones. Never mind. It’s a good story. Taken from the Liverpool Evening Express of 10th December 1930, in an article about the ‘Romance of Allerton and Calderstones’ by ‘Gradivus.‘

Miscellaneous

Robin Hood’s Stone
Standing Stone / Menhir

MAGIC (Record No.: 33891) states that Robin Hood’s Stone was originally part of the ‘the complex of stone monuments known as the Calderstones‘, but it doesn’t suggest it was part of a stone circle.

The stone was formerly erected during the Bronze Age and was originally part of the complex of stone monuments known as the Calderstones, which lie approximately 150m to the north east. These have been protected as a separate monument (SM 23692).

The record goes on to describe the cupmarks and give dimensions for the stone:

An early photograph shows that the stone had been decorated with several cup marks, similar to those recorded on the Calderstones. These marks are now at the base of the stone, buried in the soil beneath the concrete plinth. The standing stone is approximately 2.4m high, 0.9m wide and 0.4m thick. It is set in an oval concrete plinth, 0.2m above the surrounding pavement, which is 3.2m long and 2.6m wide.

Interestingly the ‘plinth’ is part of the scheduled site. The eight digit grid reference for this site is SJ39978638.

Miscellaneous

Robin Hood’s Stone
Standing Stone / Menhir

The sorry looking bronze plaque in front to the stone reads:

THIS MONOLITH KNOWN AS “ROBIN HOODS STONE” STOOD IN A FIELD NAMED THE STONE HEY AT A SPOT 19 FEET DISTANT, AND IN A DIRECTION BEARING 7 DEGREES EAST OF TRUE NORTH FROM ITS PRESENT POSITION, TO WHICH IT WAS MOVED IN AUGUST 1928. THE ARROW BELOW INDICATES THE DIRECTION OF THE ORIGINAL SITE.

THIS.SIDE.OF.THE.STONE.FORMERLY.FACED.SOUTH

Pretty informative for something so old, and at least they recognised that the stone’s orientation was potentially important.

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