29 January 2016

Budby

Cottage in Budby
Yesterday I was on safari once again - visiting another corner of this green and pleasant land. An hour's drive brought me to the hamlet of Budby in Nottinghamshire. Then it was boots on and off into the wilderness. I had intended to get there by ten o'clock because the weather forecast promised a lovely sunny morning with cloud coming over around 1pm but I didn't reach Budby till eleven.

Ahead of me were the trees - lots of them - for I was walking through one of the best remaining sections of Sherwood Forest. This deciduous forest once covered a huge swathe of central England and what we see today are the mere vestiges of what once was. According to legend, it was in this area that Robin Hood and his merry men lurked, waiting to rob from the rich and give to the poor. It is said that Robin married Maid Marian at St Mary's Church in the village of Edwinstowe which is where I was heading.
With all the tracks and paths that pass through the forest, I soon got lost, heading south west instead of south east. I caught up with a fat man in a long brown smock with a rope tied around his middle. His coarse woollen smock had a hood or cowl and the hair on the  top of his head had been shaven off in the manner of a medieval monk. "Good morrow stranger," said the chubby fellow. "Whither  go'est thou?"

I explained to him that I was lost and looking for The Major Oak. He gave me directions in a form of English that seemed almost Shakespearean and when I showed him my digital camera he appeared genuinely astonished. "What manner of thing is this sire? Tis the devil's own device!" He refused to have his picture taken and looked rather sheepish when our paths separated at The Centre Tree.
After visiting the ancient Major Oak, I too headed into Edwinstowe where I partook of an egg mayonaisse sandwich, a small scotch egg and a pint of milk from the local co-op. It was clouding over now as expected. Soon I was striding long the banks of The River Maun and back into the forest. 
Statue of Maid Marian and Robin Hood in Edwinstowe
Ahead of me an imposing Victorian building loomed up amidst the trees - Archway House. It was built under the instructions of  The Duke of Portland in 1844 and was intended to be a feature upon his private driveway - a driveway that was never completed. Incredibly, he had planned his own private road, running twenty five miles from his lavish country seat at Welbeck Abbey all the way to Nottingham. Happily, parliament resisted his entreaties for the necessary permissions. It was, after all,  an outrageous idea of Donald Trump-like proportions.
Archway House
I managed to get lost once  again while heading back to Budby and imagined snuggling down for the night under a tree with squirrels and badgers. Maybe I would see a campfire glowing in the nearby clearing with shadows of men clanking pewter tankards together while singing "Greensleeves". But then Budby came into view once more.
TV viewing in Budby

23 comments:

  1. Why verily YP, ye have shewn us a goodly parte of this fair county. Or in modern parlance, hecky thump, lad, tha don't alf get around !
    Thanks YP, I do enjoy reading your blog and looking at the photos. Such wonderful scenery.

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    1. I bow to thee fair lady and bestow upon thee my undying gratitude for thy gracious words. Well met in Sherwood! Let us retire unto "Ye Olde Black Swan", there to quaff flagons of foaming English ale. (in modern parlance - Thanks for dropping by and leaving a nice comment.).

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  2. How that photograph of the oak tree brought back memories for me - memories of forty years ago when I lived in rural Lincolnshire and one of our favourite places for a visit was to the 'royal oak'. My son, then a child, absolutely loved going and so did we.

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    1. I have never seen The Royal Oak Mrs Weaver...time for Google's assistance... oh now I am confused, there seem to be a few of them. Is there one in Sherwood Forest?

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  3. I'm sure that Tubby Chap in Brown would have said 'Wither" rather than "Where" but I admire your storytelling: an ability I lack completely.

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    1. Now changed to "wither" - thank you.
      Wither goest thou Graham?
      I goest bloody nowhere!

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    2. I'm sorry YP but the spillchucker changed my comment without me noticing. It should be 'whither'.

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    3. And you're right. After 6 hours here in the airport I'm still going bloody nowhere!

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    4. Just think you could have been at home making a start on that picture you have promised to create!

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    5. Well YP I am back at home. The plane arrived, aborted the landing and returned to Glasgow. The joys of travel. Hopefully the weather will relent and we'll get away tomorrow.

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  4. Hi Mr. Pudding. I didn't know that Robin Hood and Maid Marion were married. So he made an honest woman out of her after all those trysts in the woods? Haha.

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    1. Marian, not Marion.

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    2. I bet that you and Gregg had a few trysts in the woods! Naughty man!

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  5. Did you wear your forest green tights while roaming Sherwood Forest, Yorkie?

    Oh! How I love the movie "Robin Hood" when I was a child. And to me, Errol Flynn will always remain the best Robin. As Sean Connery will always be the best James Bond, to me.

    I enjoy your roaming through the countryside...you take us to places most of us would never get to see.

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    1. I wore my forest brown tights in case of "accidents"... if you see what I mean. Thanks for calling by again Maid Lee.

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  6. I'm impressed. You almost had me seeing Robin Hood. Is there a Welbeck farm near Welbeck Abbey?

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    1. Not just one farm but several Red!...The Dukes of Portland were famous as horse trainers and had a huge riding school built at Welbeck Abbey.

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  7. The last picture gave me a start! Creepy. I absolutely am in love with Archway house. It is stunning and your picture made me imagine I was exploring a wood and came upon it by surprise! LOVE it! Can I use it as a desktop on my computer for a couple of days so I can admire it more fully???

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    1. I am pleased that you like that picture Hilly and am honoured that you wish to use it as a desktop background. Please go ahead!

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  8. Ah, a friar in sheep's clothing in Sherwood Forest! It's amazing what a walk in the woods reveals.

    I am quite taken with Archway House; The Duke of Portland was obviously a man who always looked at the Big Picture.

    Ms Soup

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    1. Yes The Duke of Portland did look at The Big Picture - a picture of his head! The audacity of his scheme beggars belief.

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  9. Like Hilltophomesteader, I love the picture of Archway House and imagine coming across it by surprise. It's not lived in, is it?
    The statue of Marian and Robin is a bit odd. What are they supposed to be doing? Is it some weird dance move, or are they practising Tai Chi as a couple?

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    1. Yes Miss A, Archway House is lived in. There's a driveway to it through the woods. As for Robin and Marian's pose - I think they were boogying at the time...or more likely Robin was proposing marriage.

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