Robin Hood'S Well

Robin Hood's Well is a structure likely dating from the late 18th century or early 19th century, built using stone from Fountains Abbey. It is made of coursed squared gritstone and features a round chamfered arch that stands approximately 2 meters high, topped with a hood-mould and spiral stops. Short flanking walls protect a spring located in a rock-cut recess. Water flows over a solid stone sill into a grooved slab that has a drain outlet, although the water level is now below the sill. The stonework resembles that of the 12th-century doorways of the abbey, but W H St John Hope did not include the well in his 1900 plan of the Abbey precinct. The well is situated near the likely location of a folly constructed by William Aislabie at the eastern edge of the abbey buildings after he acquired them in 1768. It is believed that the covering was made from medieval stones, with the carved stops added later, and that the spring served as a refreshment spot for visitors from Studley Royal House. The connection to Robin Hood is likely a 19th-century romantic addition.