Robin Hood Stars In England's Hall Of Fame

Robin Hood takes a place in England’s ultimate Hall of Fame to go on display in a one-off exhibition to mark St George’s Day (23^rd April) 

Robin Hood has been revealed as part of England’s Hall of Fame to celebrate St George’s Day.

Jennifer Spencer, Chief Executive, Experience Nottinghamshire, said: “We are thrilled that Robin Hood, whose legend is firmly rooted in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest, has received a Silver Award in The Great, The Good and the Notorious category of VisitEngland’s Hall of Fame, and has made it through to the top 18 claims to England’s fame.  Robin is world-renowned as our most famous outlaw and his legend continues to attract a large number of visitors to the city and county. Raising the profile of Robin Hood through the Hall of Fame will also have a positive impact on the profile of our city and county.”

The hotly anticipated Hall of Fame exhibition opens to the public on St George’s Day. Running for one week until 30^th April, the free open-air exhibition will take place at Observation Point on London’s Southbank.

The search to establish England’s Hall of Fame began in February when the tourist board asked the public to submit their suggestions. The Hall of Fame app received almost 1,000 submissions from Harry Potter to Harry Styles, the mini skirt to the tuxedo, The Beatles to punk music, and Earl Grey tea to the Scotch Egg.

A panel of experts has awarded a bronze, silver and gold across six categories, to celebrate the best of what England has brought to the world and what makes the country such a diverse and fascinating place to visit and explore. The public has also been given a vote; The People’s Choice will be revealed on St George’s Day.

England’s ultimate Hall of Fame consists of: 

History & Heritage

Bronze – The four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, sealed in 1215 at Runnymede, Surrey, and regarded by historians as the foundation of constitutional liberty in the English-speaking world

Silver – The smooth lawns and sweeping vistas of England’s landscaping master, Capability Brown, as seen at Northumberland's Kirkharle Lake and Courtyard

Gold – Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the world's oldest industrial complex and a crucial part of England’s naval heritage 

The Great, the Good and the Notorious

Bronze – World-renowned, elusive graffiti artist Banksy, whose original murals can be spotted on a guided tour of Bristol’s street art

Silver – Robin Hood, England's lovable outlaw, whose world-famous legend is rooted in Sherwood Forest on the outskirts of Nottingham

Gold – Founder of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, whose birthplace museum in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, is dedicated to her life and social reforms

Food & Drink

Bronze – The Bakewell Pudding, first made at a local inn in Derbyshire during the 19^th century… and whose recipe was something of a happy accident!

Silver – England's oldest working gin distillery in Plymouth, whose guided tours provide a glimpse into the centuries-old process of gin making

Gold – The sandwich, an essential part of afternoon tea, which was named in honour of its ingenious inventor, John Montagu, the 4^th Earl of Sandwich. Enjoy them cut up into dainty fingers at Woburn Abbey, where the tradition of afternoon tea was popularised around 1840.

Inventions & Discoveries

Bronze – England as the birthplace of the steam locomotive, whose steam train attractions can be found chugging merrily around the country. A working replica of the world’s first operational steam locomotive can be seen in action at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Ironbridge, Shropshire, whilst Birmingham’s Thinktank Science Museum is worth visiting for its exciting demonstrations of the steam engine's power.

Silver – Sir Isaac Newton’s family home at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, where the English physicist and mathematician first discovered his theory of gravity

Gold – Isambard Kingdom Brunel's engineering masterpieces in Bristol, including the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain passenger steamship

Sport & Leisure

Bronze – The annual BNY Mellon Boat Race (known also as the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race), established in 1829 and one of the world’s oldest sporting events

Silver – The home of tennis, from Hampton Court Palace in Richmond-upon-Thames, where the sport is thought to have been invented, to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

Gold – The incidental birth of modern rugby during a football game at Rugby School in Warwickshire

Culture & Entertainment

Bronze – Glastonbury, the granddaddy of all festivals on Worthy Farm in Somerset

Silver –Hampshire’s elegant Highclere Castle, the real-life location of ITV’s hugely successful Downton Abbey

Gold – The Beatles, whose mop-top haircuts and irresistibly catchy tunes set fans’ hearts on fire in 1960s Liverpool

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