Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire One Place Study

Location: Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies England Yorkshire

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Contents 1 Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire One Place Study 1.1 Geography 1.2 Name 1.3 History 1.3.1 Notables 2 Sources

Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire One Place Study

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Geography

Continent: Europe

Sovereign State: United Kingdom

Country: England

County: North Yorkshire

GPS Coordinates: 54.4345, -0.5344

Elevation: 53.0 m or 173.9 feet

Name

Known as Bay Town to the locals, Robin Hood's Bay is a small fishing village on the Hertiage Coast of the North York Moor National Park. The village over many centuries has developed both upper & lower levels of narrow, twisting cobbled streets and alleyways leading to sandy beaches of the Bay from which it took its name.

Robin Hood's Bay together with six hamlets sit on the marshes of the Dale & ancient Parish of Fylingdales, 8.0 km south of Whitby and 24 km north of Scarborough.

The actual origin of the name remains a mystery. There is not a scrap of evidence to suggest that Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest folklore visited the Bay. The name is more likely to have grown from legends with local origin

The bay was originally a farming and fishing community that thrived mainly on their catch, supported by 'Alum' mining. In winter fleets of brightly coloured cobles bobbed at sea whilst their crew line fished upon them. Larger boats were used for the herring which were unloaded into panniers at the docks and transported over the moors to Pickering and York. Whole families worked in the fishing industry, be it out on the open sea or walking and riding the catch to market. With the decline of the fishing, tourism has grown.

History

Robin Hood’s Bay lies in the ancient parish of Fylingdales. Fylingdales, is believed to be derived from the Old English word ‘Fygela’ meaning ‘marshy ground’. The first evidence of man in the area was 3000 years ago when Bronze Age burial grounds were dug on the high moorland a mile or so south of the village, known as Robin Hood’s Butts. Some 1500 years later, Roman soldiers had a stone signal tower built at Ravenscar about 400/500 AD.

The first regular settlers, however, were probably Saxon peasants, followed by the Norsemen although the main colonists of this coast were Norwegians, probably attracted by the rich glacial soil and ample fish. They survived by a mixture of farming and fishing.

The first recorded reference to Robin Hood’s Bay has been identified to 1322-1346, in a letter from Louis, Count of Flanders to Edward III, pleading for the return of his ship which was taken to "Robin Oode Bay", by the people of England . The next reference was in 1536 by King Henry VIII’s topographer, Leland, who described ‘a fischer townelet of 20 bootes with Dok or Bosom of a mile yn length’. By now the cliff settlement had grown larger than the inland settlement, probably because they felt more secure from piracy and because it would be more convenient to walk from the boats. By 1540, the village was said to have fifty cottages by the shore, the chief tenant was Matthew Storm. His descendants still live in the area.

By the 18th century, Robin Hood’s Bay was reportedly the busiest smuggling community on the Yorkshire coast. Its natural isolation, protected by marshy moorland on three sides, offered a natural aid to this well-organised business which, despite its dangers, must have paid better than fishing.

Smuggling at sea was backed up by many on land who were willing to finance and transport contraband. Fisherfolk, farmers clergy and gentry alike were all involved. Fierce battles ensued between smugglers and excise men, both at sea and on land, and Bay wives were known to pour boiling water over excise men from bedroom windows in the narrow alleyways. Hiding places, bolt holes and secret passages abounded. It is said that a bale of silk could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without leaving the houses.

The threat of the excise men was not the only danger to Bayfolk. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Press Gangs were feared and hated. Sailors and fishermen were supposedly exempt but, in reality, rarely were. Once ‘pressed’, their chances of returning to their homes were not high. Village women would beat a drum to warn the men folk that the Press Gangs had arrived and it was not unusual for the Press Gang to be attacked and beaten off.

The fishing industry reached its zenith in the mid 19th century and a thriving community existed in Bay.

Mining of 'Alum' shale grew steadily during the 19th Century.

Notables

Eileen Hilda Colwell (abt.1905-)

Sources