Saturday, 1 June 2019

Robin Hood's Butts

Robin Hood's Butts are a group of 9 Bronze Age barrows located on the top of the Blackdown Hills at Brown Down.  Five of the bowl barrows are arranged together on a north/south alignment to the south of School Farm between the hamlets of Fyfett and Otterford.  Four of them have a diameter of c20 metres and are 2.2 metres in height.  The fifth one has a diameter of c28 metres and is 2.5 metres high.  The grid reference is ST 230 143.  The other four barrows are located at different points up to a mile to the south of the group of 5.

Legend has it that Robin Hood used the barrows to support the targets for his archery practice or that Robin Hood and Little John threw their quoits from one barrow to another, thus creating bowl shaped indentations on the top of them.  An alternative story is that they were created by giants throwing earth at each other.

Bowl barrows to the south of School Farm

Robin Hood's Butts, School Farm

Robin Hood's Butts

Robin Hood's Butts, School Farm

Robin Hood's Butts, School Farm

1 comment:

  1. Having visited the site today late november 2020 not much has changed.i took notice and can see evidence of the moat that ran around the site .

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