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IS THIS HOW OUR ROBIN ESCAPED?
BY MHAIRI MCFARLANE
12:00 - 16 August 2002
Archaeologists believe a tunnel discovered under a Nottingham tourist attraction could be Robin Hood's fabled escape route.
Staff at the Galleries of Justice in High Pavement were amazed when they stumbled on the secret passageway eight feet below street level.
Now they hope to make the tunnel a tourist attraction in its own right.
The exciting discovery was revealed this week when archaeologists excavating 14th-century manmade caves beneath the museum accidentally broke through a rotten wood floor.
A secret tunnel beneath Nottingham's streets is thought to be an escape route used by the famous outlaw.
Ancient documents tell of how Robin was surrounded by the Sheriff 's men and sought sanctuary in St Mary's Church in the Lace Market.
After frantically searching for a way out, his prayers were answered and he gave them all the slip....using a hidden underground passageway.
But evidence to support the myth has never emerged - until now.
The passageway, thought to date to the 12th century, is about four feet wide and five feet high and leads towards the church.
It is thought to have led Robin, following the twists and turns in the pitch dark, out to safety by the River Leen.
Galleries of Justice Curator Louise Connell said: "When we pulled the flooring up we found this hole. It was very exciting and a real Scooby Doo moment!
"When we went down there with a torch, we could see that the tunnel is in a dog-leg shape, pointing back towards the church."
Local archaeologist Gavin Kingsley said: "This is an amazing find and goes some way to substantiating the theory that Robin Hood was trapped within St Mary's Church and used the cave system to escape."
Another group of archaeologists working at the site in the mid-1990s were aware of the passageway, putting the flooring down and noting it in a survey of the area.
But they failed to realise its significance or notify museum staff.
Experts from the University of Nottingham will now try to date the tunnel by clearing rubble blocking it.
At the time of Robin's flight to freedom, the Galleries were used as a storage vault by people living in the wealthy townhouses lining High Pavement.
Further investigations may be carried out to see if the entrance at St Mary's can be found.
Canon Eddie Neale said: "I am delighted that we have finally discovered physical evidence of the escape tunnel we knew had existed in the times of Robin Hood.
"Visitors to the Galleries will no doubt find it fascinating."
Members of the World Wide Robin Hood Society will get to see the passageway as their chairman, Bob White, wants to install a webcam link-up.
He said: "This fascinating discovery will undoubtedly intrigue our many members worldwide who are always delighted to hear of new support for the legend."
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