Ravenshead

Ravenshead is a village and civil parish in the Gedling district of Nottinghamshire, England. It borders Rainworth and Blidworth, and is part of Nottinghamshires Hidden Valleys area.

According to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,636.

History

Newstead Abbey, 12th century grade 1 listed building and ancestral home of Lord Byron, is accessed from the village. After the death of Thomas a Becket, King Henry II supposedly to make up for this terrible deed gave the Canons of the Order of St Augustine the land at Ravenshead where they set up a priory, the walls of which can still be seen today. It is here that the name Ravenshead is first encountered."Ravenshede begins at the aforesaidway which liesfrom Papilwyke [Papplewick] to Blydeworthe, along the hollowroad eastward which is called Thefestyghe: and this leads to the King's highway which is called Nottinghamgate."

In the Middle Ages the priory was a stopping place for pilgrims, by this time The Hutt would have been a guest house to the priory.

In 1349 the prior died of plague.The soil in the area is very sandy and unsuitable for growing crops. There is no evidence of a settlement in the area until Norman times when there was probably a building standing where the present day Hutt stands, built as a home for the King's men who patrolled the Royal Forests.

The legend of Robin Hood centres around the area of Sherwood Forest in which Ravenshead is located. Although a later addition to the legend it is possible that one of Robin Hood's followers, Friar Tuck, was inspired by the priory.
Will Scarlet is also supposed to be buried at nearby Blidworth Church.

In 1966 a hoard of gold coins and jewellery was discovered by workmen on a building site near present day Cambourne Gardens. Some believe the coins were buried by monks of the priory when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. Another theory is that during the Wars of the Roses there was a battle near Newark at East Stoke. A paymaster of the losing side fled hoping to find refuge at the priory. He buried the coins intending to retrieve them later. The "Fishpool Hoard", as it is known, is on display in at The British Museum, London. Fishpool,Notts is the name of the area where they were found as the building site did not have the name Ravenshead then (see below).

On July 17, 1817 a young girl from Papplewick named Elizabeth Sheppard travelled to Mansfield in search of work. Early next morning her body was found in a ditch. The "Sheppard Stone" stands next to the A60 marking the spot on the roadside below Portland College and is still regularly maintained. Her ghost is said to appear if the stone is disturbed. Her killer was identified as Charles Rotherham, from Sheffield, who had tried to sell her newly bought shoes and an umbrella.

In nearby Thieves Wood, on 23 June 1883, gamekeeper Albert Spinks shot the first example of an Egyptian Nightjar in England. He mentioned it to Joseph Whitaker, a naturalist, who recognised it as a rare bird species in Britain. He had the bird stuffed and this is now kept in a museum in nearby Mansfield. The species wasn't seen alive in Britain again until 1984.

100 years ago Ravenshead was centred on an area called Fishpool, this name appeared on a 17th century map.

It was in the 1920s and 30s that farming in the area began to die out as farmers couldn't afford to pay the rents.

Most of Ravenshead parish was in the parish of Bulcote in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire prior to 1987 [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870221_en_1.htm The Nottinghamshire (District Boundaries) Order 1987 ] ] , with part coming from the parish of Newstead, already in Gedling.

More history can be found by following the link to the newsletter.

chools

The village has two infant/primary schools: Ravenshead C of E Primary School and Abbey Gates Primary School. For residents in the area the secondary school most commonly attended in Ravenshead is Joseph Whitaker in the neighbouring village of Rainworth

Amenities

Ravenshead is home to the Longdale Lane Craft Centre. In the centre of the village there is also several shops including a newsagent, chemist and take aways. There are four pubs in the village: The Hutt, Little John, Sherwood Ranger and Larch Farm.The village also has a large leisure centre surriounded by several tennis courts and football pitches.

Residents

Ravenshead is an affluent area of the East Midlands with higher than average property prices and a diverse population of professional people, elderly people and skilled workers.Farming was the main occupation in the area until the arrival of the local shops and schools. The only other industry in Ravenshead was sand quarrying. The first quarry was opened in 1919 to provide building sand for Nottingham and Hucknall.

Famous inhabitants

Barclay Littlewood, an educational entrepreneur and millionaire based in Ravenshead. He is also number 71 on The Sunday Times Rich List.

Lawnmower Deth, a disbanded UK thrashcore band, originated from Ravenshead.

External links

* [http://www.ravensheadnewsletter.co.uk/ Ravenshead Community Newsletter]
* [http://www.ravensheadnewsletter.co.uk/history.htm Ravenshead history]
* [http://www.vivomagazine.co.uk/ravenshead ViVo Magazine - distributed exclusively to Ravenshead residents]