Robin Hood's Bowyer

[English Bowman]

Originally Posted by Longbow_Gold

Yes, that's the one

Taken from the Robin Hood Ltd site - "It is at Kirklees Priory that the supposed grave of Robin Hood can still be seen to this day."...Sadly, much of Kirklees Priory is now ruined but roughly 600 metres from the gatehouse, a medieval gravestone was found bearing a partial inscription "here lies Robard Hude..."

What kind of draw weight would it take to achieve this distance?... I remember hearing on a video clip or website, that it wasn't inconcieveable for a bow to have a draw weight of up to 200lbs (Or more) in those times, but would a bow with that high a draw weight be able to shoot an arrow almost 600 mtrs?

Willie

That distance is in my opinion impossible with a longbow that is light enough to be drawn by a human being. The problem is that the heavier that the bow is, the heavier the arrow has to be, so you get less distance per pound from a heavy bow than a lighter one, if each is shooting a matched arrow. If you try to get around this by shooting a light arrow from a heavy bow it won't fly straight, so you won't get the distance anyway.
The GNAS record for a longbow of unlimited weight is 341 yds. For a bow of 50lbs it's 315, and for 35lbs it's 239.
So you get about an extra 85yds by going up the 15lbs from 35lbs to 50lbs but only another 25yds by going up higher than that, I don't know what weight was shot there, but 100lbs is not an unreasonable guess as I know GNAS archers who can shoot that weight.

Daniel

[englishwarbow]

Originally Posted by English Bowman

That distance is in my opinion impossible with a longbow that is light enough to be drawn by a human being. The problem is that the heavier that the bow is, the heavier the arrow has to be, so you get less distance per pound from a heavy bow than a lighter one, if each is shooting a matched arrow. If you try to get around this by shooting a light arrow from a heavy bow it won't fly straight, so you won't get the distance anyway.
The GNAS record for a longbow of unlimited weight is 341 yds. For a bow of 50lbs it's 315, and for 35lbs it's 239.
So you get about an extra 85yds by going up the 15lbs from 35lbs to 50lbs but only another 25yds by going up higher than that, I don't know what weight was shot there, but 100lbs is not an unreasonable guess as I know GNAS archers who can shoot that weight.

Daniel

Daniel is right that distance cannot have been made even with a 200lb longbow, which is feasible and has been done (Mark Stretton world record with 200lb drawn 32" and shot accuratley) and I have footage of Joe Gibb drawing up a 202lb bow to 29". But even with these bows that distance could not be achieved, the reason is simple and as stated only a heavy arrow will stand in high draw weight bows. Warbows shoot heavy arrows complete with armour piercing heads that was there intendend purpose, the distances achievable are considerable though. I have personally seen on many occasions half inch shafts with the correct fletchings, weight and heads to be called war arrows shot to distances approaching 300yds, that been said they are not flight bows. Most heavy archers flight shoot and they use bows designed for the purpose, in my experience flight arrows can be shot out of a warbow but the increase in distance is not worth the risk to your bow or yourself. I doubt the 600m distance is achievable to any longbow type, certainly to any availalbe to Robin Hood!

[Longbow_Gold]

I agree with that as well Nick, nd to be honest, I think that the 600M carry on is a bit too far, because on the TV programme that I remember the historian speaking on about the shot, mentioned the the gate house is about200 yards away, which to me seems more achievale than 600M

It would be interesting to visit the grave and the Kirklees Abbey gatehouse to get an idea of the exact distance, to see if the shot could/couldn't have been possible to make

Willie

[BasicNigel]

Wasn't he supposedly upstairs and the grave in in a valley.
Aside from that a shot of that distance would be worthy of a LEGENDRY chearacter.
Emlyn the Bow Maker features in one of the Robin Hood films. Iirc he was held up by Robin and Co with a supply of longbows and tagged along after to see what happened.
Think there where 2 bowyers in the old Richard Green tv show.

[Longbow_Gold]

Yes I believe so, but from what I remember a historian saying, is that it was said that Little John shot the arrow from the doorstep of the room where Robin lay dying and in respect of Robin's last wish, he shot the arrow directly out in the opposite direction and that wherever the arrow fell, that it was to be Robin's final resting place.

I think that 200 yeards from the Kirkless Abbey Gatehouse to Robin's grave would be more possible a shot with a longbow/warbow, than the 600M that is on the website that I found the little snippet from

Willie

[Martin S]

Originally Posted by Longbow_Gold

Taken from the Robin Hood Ltd site - "It is at Kirklees Priory that the supposed grave of Robin Hood can still be seen to this day."...Sadly, much of Kirklees Priory is now ruined but roughly 600 metres from the gatehouse, a medieval gravestone was found bearing a partial inscription "here lies Robard Hude..."

Willie

According to the excellent book "The Quest For Robin Hood" by the late Jim Lees the inscription read:

Hear Underneath this leitl Stean
Laz robert earl of Huntingtun
Ne'er arcir ver as hie sa geud
And pipl kauld in robin heud
Sick utlaws az hi an iz men
Vil england niver si agen

Obiit 24 kal; Decembris 1247

It also explains that a lot of the stone disappeared during the building of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway due to a belief that a chip from it would cure toothache!

Oh, Jim Lees also points out that the gatehouse is a Tudor building.

HTH

Martin

[Longbow_Gold]

Yeah, I remember hearing the inscription on the headstone being read out and the local belif of the toothache cure being mentioned also, but I think that there is alot that is unknown about Robin Hood, for example, how can the people of Nottingham possibly know if Robin Hood was a right handed archer, he may have been a lefty

I remember hearing about the book by Jim Lees (may he rip) and it is certainly intriguing, but then that's part of the magic that makes the legend as interesting as it is

It would be cool to take a full week to search all round the internet and see what historical info can be found, have it printed out and read through it, just for the curiousity aspect of it, but then again, I would rather be outside on a nice clear, calm and bright spring days, shooting a little clout archery with the longbow , perhaps it'll be something to do for the days with the not so cheerful weather lol

Willie

[english_archer]

Originally Posted by Longbow_Gold

It would be cool to take a full week to search all round the internet and see what historical info can be found, have it printed out and read through it, just for the curiousity aspect of it, but then again, I would rather be outside on a nice clear, calm and bright spring days, shooting a little clout archery with the longbow , perhaps it'll be something to do for the days with the not so cheerful weather lol

Willie

If youve not already come across it this Robin Hood -- Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood is a natty website for all things robin hood

[Longbow_Gold]

Thank you sir, I'll check it out and see what's on there

Willie