UK Roadtrip - York to Warwick

7th October

Today we packed up the car for the last time and headed down to Warwick.  We had booked a little cottage just outside Warwick, called Finwood Cottage.  It was to be quiet an extensive drive between to two and we had lots to stop and look at along the way. 

First stop was Selby, a smaller town just south of York.  Here we strolled the town centre and shops before heading off again. 

Next was the bigger town of Doncaster. Here when we found the town centre we also happened upon the local markets. So of course we had to walk up and down them as well as the local shops before continuing on. 

Heading towards Nottingham, we stopped at Sherwood Forest to visit Robin Hood and Maid Marion along the way.  There was a festival or something on, with people folk dancing and preforming within the visitor centre.  We walked through the Robin Hood exhibition before walking out to see the Major Oak tree.  Major Oak is a huge oak tree situated within the Sherwood Forest.  According to local folklore it is beneath the branches of Major Oak that Robin Hood and his merry men rested.  Though a beautiful old tree, if you believe the original stories from the 11th and 12th centuries, this tree would not have been the landmark that it is today, so an older, larger oak would have been the original tree.  But the stories of Robin and the outlaws span several centuries, and other outlaws would have taken up the same name.  Names such as Hood, Hode, Robin, Robyn and Robert were fairly common during these times and records by court officals before the 1300's show at least eight people who were given the surname or nickname of 'Robinhood'.  So it is possible that at least one band of merry men used this tree as a meeting place. 

Continuing onto Nottingham, we drove through the centre and up to the castle, though because it was quite late in the day they had closed their doors.  So we admired from the outside instead  before continuing onto Finwood Cottage, in a little town just outside Warwick.  This was to be our accommodation for the next week.  I am unable, however, to put house names into the nav man and so we ended up at the local pub trying to call the owner to find out where we were supposed to be!! The very nice bartender allowed us to use the pubs phone and we got in contact with the owner who directed us to the property - down a little laneway, off the already little road.  Once we arrived the cottage was beautiful and perfect for what we were here for.

We didn't have much time to admire the cottage (and the cobblestone floors!) for long, unpacking the car and piling back in to head to Coventry to pick up Danielle and Rachael, friends from my time at Our Chalet, who were training it in to meet us for the evening and day after.  With a little stress and confusion, we made it into Coventry train station and found Danielle and Rachael. We headed to Nandos for dinner and then back to our cottage for a teenagers style sleepover!

Robin Hood

In Sherwood Forest

Major Oak