Robin Hood?s Trysting Tree

Image: © Mike Nield Taken: 5 Jun 2013

Kiveton Park/Todwick At the beginning of the twentieth century at Todwick in South Yorkshire, an ancient oak known as the “Trysting Tree” blew down in a gale. This “venerable oak” was connected to the legend of Robin Hood and is mentioned in Sir Walter Scott's classic novel “Ivanhoe” as “great trysting tree in the Hart-hill Walk”. The Duke of Leeds decided to replace the stricken tree, both to mark the turn of the century and to celebrate the birth of his son and heir, the Marquis of Carmarthen, and on the 3rd October 1901 he planted a sapling grown from an acorn which had fallen from that mighty oak in Sherwood Forest, famously known as the “Major Oak”. The day was declared a holiday and all the people from the Duke's estate were invited to the ceremony. A sit-down meal was provided for the guests in a large marquee and in return the villagers then presented the Duke with a silver rose bowl to mark the birth of his son. And there it stood, at the edge of Bluebell Wood at Kiveton Hall Farm, until 1973 when the council, in their infinite wisdom, decided to cut down the tree whilst widening the road nearby. Then, a Mr Bishop, who was at that time tenant of Kiveton Hall Farm, planted a third oak complete with iron fence to protect the young sapling and the Trysting Tree was back again. Then the Kiveton Park Folk Club erected a stone post furbished with a brass plaque nearby, the occasion being commemorated by G.F. Young, the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, and the legend was back also. On the 18th May 1974 the folk club held a trysting fair with music, dance and song, stalls, working craftsmen, and, of course, the marquee with food and drink.... The legend of the trysting tree is now in the safe hands of Lord Conyers Morris Men who have danced at the site every May Eve at dusk and every May Day at dawn without fail since 1974. The plaque reads: “On this site once stood Robin Hood's Trysting Tree immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe. It was replaced in 1901 by a sapling of the Major Oak, planted by the Duke of Leeds. This plaque was erected to celebrate the planting of its successor by Kiveton Park Folk Club and was commemorated by Gerard F Young Esq. the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire on the 18th May 1974” Thanks are due to Philip Taylor, dancer and musician with Lord Conyers Morris Men, and the late John Wells, founder member of Kiveton Park Folk Club, from whose knowledge the above notes were taken.

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