This has to be a little favorite of mine and we simply found it after a spur of the moment mad rush one evening at 11.30pm when we decided after a ghost walk around Worksop Priory we would go to find it.
Myself and Aimee pulled up to a wooded lay-by which lead to a public path, it was so dark we could not even see our hands in front of our face but that added to the spookiness of the surrounding area and being the spooky enthusiasts that we are, we totally loved it. With only a phone light we headed down the wooded path in the hope to find what is called Edwins Chapel Cross. I’m pleased to say we did not need the compass and we found it pretty easy…..
History
Erected by the Duke of Portland in a quiet corner of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, this large metal cross and stone marks the location of a ruined chapel or shrine after Henry VIII abolished it. There is a few stones around the Cross that is the lasting remains.
Saint Edwin’s Chapel Cross lies just outside the village of Edwinstowe. The village name means “Edwin’s Resting Place,” so-called because the King’s cortege stopped there on its way to York after the Battle of Hatfield, possibly at the site marked today by the cross.
Yet strangely, York is 30 miles north of Camden’s supposed Doncaster battlefield and Edwinstowe and its cross are 30 miles in the opposite direction. Unless the defeated Northumbrians got lost, the location of Saint Edwin’s Chapel Cross hints that perhaps the true site of the decisive battle was somewhere else entirely.
Some modern scholars have zeroed in on a spot they think may hold a clue to the battle’s true location. The area around Cuckney, three miles from Saint Edwin’s Chapel Cross, was historically known as Hatfield, the word being a reasonably common old English name for a heathland clearing.
In 1951, a mass grave of 200 male skeletons was unearthed in Cuckney. The remains were hastily reburied in the village churchyard in an undisclosed location and little investigation was done at the time, but the ancient remains were potentially linked to the battle.
This archaeological evidence for the existence of the mass grave layed close to the reputed location of “Edwin’s Resting Place” has led 21st-century historians and archaeologists from Mercian Archaeological Services and the Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project to investigate whether the location of one of Britain’s final pagan victories over a Christian army ought to be entirely rethought.
If Woodlands could talk i’m sure this part of Sherwood Forest could tell a tale or two…..
To the side of the cross is a tree and marked in the tree in ‘EDWIN’, it would seem archaeologists on their review of this site as included this in their summary but i’m unsure if it dates back to when the cross was erected or if its been done in more recent days. Id assume to add it to their site they may believe it may be of historical importance.
We actually didnt really go to conduct a investigation it was more to see the site but as we walked through the woodlands and came up to a field of corn, which at the time I could only described it as looking like a scene from the film ‘Signs’, it somehow had us abit on edge.
We were hearing voices, verbal voices, and it was far too late for anyone else to be out. This sounded like a group of men. We also heard walking at times and Aimee thought that actually there was a group of men maybe hanging around somewhere as the sounds and voices were as I say, quite strong.
We certainly could not see anyone and there was no other cars parked up . It was so dark that if a group of people had been present they would have needed a torch too as it was so dark and at no point did we see any form of light which indicated people was there.
As we walked away from the cross and back towards the car we heard two whistles. It literally felt as if we may have been in the middle of army camp and because we was two women there we were getting attention. I do know that Sherwood Forest was used for the war and I do know that areas was used for camps. I was not sure if this area ever had been but our team member, Dave Rising informed me that it was increasingly possible.
We went back for a second visit and this time it was quiet, however we did capture some awesome replies on the spirit box which we felt was intelligent and relevant.