Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for ROBIN-HOOD'S-BAY

ROBIN-HOOD'S-BAY, a small town in Fylingdales parish, N. R. Yorkshire; on a bay of its own name, 5 miles S S E of Whitby. It takes its name from a tradition that Robin Hood occasionally resided at it, and thathe kept boats here for escaping pursuit; it is sometimes called Baytown, to distinguish it from the bay; it was a fishing-place of some importance in the time of Henry VIII.; it has recently undergone much increase; it occupies a picturesque site, overlooking the bay, yet notvisible, on the approach from Whitby, till its close vicinity; it includes, among its inhabitants, a considerablenumber of ship-owners; it is a subport to Whitby; and it has a post-office‡ under Whitby, a good inn, and a coast-guard station. The bay is an incurvature, abouta mile in width; and has a sandy beach, and a cliffycoast. Two ancient British tumuli are on the adjoiningmoor, and are popularly called Robin-Hood's-Butts. Large alum-works are on the coast, 2½ miles to the S S E.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Fylingdales CP/Ch       Yorkshire AncC
Place: Robin Hoods Bay

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.