Used in episodes:
- The Swords of Wayland
- Seven Poor Knights from Acre
- Herne's Son
- The Pretender
- The Cross of St Ciricus
- Adam Bell
- The Betrayal
- The Sheriff of Nottingham
- Rutterkin
Hidden in the countryside, south of Bath, lies one of the most breath-taking locations we've had the pleasure of visiting.
As one of the most eagerly anticipated locations we wanted to visit, namely because Herne's Son - Part 2 is one of our favourite episodes and the infamous town of Lichfield was filmed here for the show, we were given permission to spend some time here and look around as it is generally closed to the public.
The most striking building that hits you on arrival is the Chapter House,
it's uniquely shaped roof giving it character that was frequently used
for many different scenes during the making of Robin of Sherwood. Deciding to start there first, we headed inside and in the very first room we found the first location: The Sheriff's bedroom in Seven Poor Knights from Acre and the 'meeting room' used in The Pretender where Sir Guy first met the usurper 'Arthur of Brittany'.
Sticking with 'Seven Poor Knights..' the entrance doorway is instantly recognisable from the episode, with the decoration around the top and the ornate wall mounting to the side. We moved on through, realising that we were suddenly walking down the same stretch of small corridor that they used for the dungeon access in The Swords of Wayland, where Marion and Tuck visited Robin when he was captured by Earl Godwin at Gwydion Castle.
"..the entrance doorway is instantly recognisable.."
Heading up the spiral stairs, you reach the first landing and the rooms where the monks of the order at Hinton used to sleep. Walking to the end of the small corridor (watch your heads!!), and up a strangely familiar set of steps, you get to a large room which fans will recognise as Marions bedchamber at Gwydian Castle in The Swords of Wayland. Even the steps where the old woman sat outside her room are still intact.
Turning aound to go out again and you realise that the room was used again, in 'Seven Poor Knights..' for the guard room and dungeon where they kept Siward. The shot in the show was of Robin (Michael Praed) and the other Merries coming down the sprial stairs at the end of the small corridor (stairs that only go up another floor before you hit the loft!!) and coming into the room to despatch the guards and rescue Siward.
We decided to move out of the Chapter House, having discovered all we could and approached the main courtyard and the area that we were most interested in - Lichfield Town!
"..that memorable scene in Herne's Son.."
The wonderful ornate archway guides you through into the main courtyard where you have that memorable scene in Herne's Son
on the bustling market place and the Merries riding in on horseback. Ahh the memories .... The first thing we wanted to see was the 'Amos Scafflock ale house' or the monk dining room as it used to be back in the 12th Century. The steps and archway are still as familiar in real life as it is on the small screen. We stepped in.
This room, not only used in for the interior of the ale house, was also used from many different angles in Seven Poor Knights.. when the Merries had to break into Leaford Grange. The window they slid through is around to the right and the doorways they came in and out of are still looking good.
We headed back out of the door that, in the episode of Herne's Son, Will came in and walked to the second courtyard, under the arch that is still as beautiful as it was back then. Moving around the building you realise that this was the main Leaford Grange courtyard for Seven Poor Knights...
"..under the arch that is still as beautiful as it was back then."
Coming back into the main courtyard, the list of episodes is seemingly endless and the scenes the production teams used the same area for, dressing it differently each time, is amazing. From the courtyard of Nottingham Castle in The Sheriff of Nottingham to where King John sat in Rutterkin as he interogated the prisoners before execution (and the infamous white van that drives past on the screen behind Will!),the exterior for Warren Abbey used in The Pretender and the kidnap scene in Nottingham for Adam Bell, you get a real sense of time they spent here.
On the reel
