Little John’s Longbow at Cannon Hall
17th June 2025
One of the most popular items on display at Cannon Hall Museum is ‘Little John’s’ bow.
According to Spencer Stanhope family tradition, this longbow belonged to Little John, the legendary tall man from Robin Hood’s band of ‘merry men’ in Sherwood Forest.
The bow is 6 foot 7 inches long (about 200cm) so is longer than a standard longbow and would have been used by someone quite tall. It is made from yew wood which is both strong and flexible. Experts believe the bow dates from the 16th century. Whilst the tales of Robin Hood start to emerge before then this is still an important object in British folklore.
For many years, the bow hung in the parish church in Hathersage, Derbyshire which is where Little John is said to have been buried. In 1715, William Spencer of Cannon Hall married Christiana Ashton of Hathersage and the bow made its way to Cannon Hall. It remained in the family for many generations. In 2019, James Fraser, a descendant of the Spencer Stanhope family kindly gifted the bow to Cannon Hall Museum for everyone to enjoy.
Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust has recently provided funds for a display case so that the bow can be better displayed.
