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You may find this information helpful when researching the area prior to your visit

Nottinghamshire

Though the popular Midland Shire, whose county town has a world-wide fame for its textile fabrics, is perhaps better known to-day in the busy world of commerce than in any other sphere, it must not be supposed that it is deficient in the elements of literary interest or historic dignity. On the contrary, its life-story is one of the most absorbing that can possibly be presented.

Since the Norman Conquerors set foot upon Nottinghamshire soil, leaving here in undisturbed possession a larger number of King’s Thegns than had been permitted to remain in most localities, the county has been the home of powerful people, and the scene of many memorable and stirring events which have had an important influence on the country’s welfare.

Within the stout gray walls of Newark Castle, the ruined remains of which still bid defiance to Time’s destroying hand, King John ended his troublous and unworthy days; from the equally strong fortress which dominated the county town, Richard III. sallied forth to the fatal field of Bosworth; on the broad acres of Stoke the troops of Henry VII. struck down the adherents of Lambert Simnel until their blood flowed through 1the red gutters in a crimson stream to the Trent; on Standard Hill, hard by that Castle of Notts which is now a Palace of Art for the Midlands, Charles I. raised the standard of war; and a few miles away, hopelessly defeated and disheartened after an arduous struggle, the ill-fated monarch gave himself up to the Scotch Commissioners.In the great church-building eras—alike in the days of Norman, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular architecture—the sound of the hammer and the chisel was familiar in the county, and there uprose a noble series of town and village churches to bring to the people the consolations of religion and to remind successive generations of struggling people of their highest hopes and destinies.

Almost as confusing as when Robin Hood lived, is where he lived.

Sherwood Forest,? Well, the first reference to Robin's home turf is the proverb "Robyn hod in scherewod stod," And one of the earliest ballads, Robin Hood and the Monk, also sings the praises of Sherwoods green.

But not much later that proverb shows up as "Robin Hode en Barnesdale stode." And many early ballads, like the Gest, mention Barnsdale as being Robins base. So where and what is Barnsdale? Barnsdale was an area of about 5 square miles (possibly as large as 10-15 miles as the boundaries are uncertain), six miles north of Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It was not a royal forest, but the Great North Road ran through Barnsdale, and the location was a known haven of highwaymen. Technically, the road was known as Ermine Street, but locally the stretch near Barnsdale was named Watling Street, the same as a different road. In the Gest, Robin tells Little John to walk up to Watling Street and the Saylis - the name of a plantation in that area.

But even the Barnsdale Robin Hood stories have scenes in Nottingham with the infamous sheriff, there's about fifty miles between the towns. Sure, King John made the trip in one day once in 1213, but it's still one heck of a commute.