Robin of Risingham

How often do you ask yourself "Whatever did the Romans do for us." Your answer may include stuff like roads, aqueducts and central heating, but now you can add a little woodland god carved into a sandstone cliff in the middle of Redesdale to your list!

Robin of Risingham has long been on the Fabulous North to do list and having recently found his pal, Acomb Little Man, we thought it was time to bring you another one of these Roman legends for you to explore.

This little carving shows a hunter with a bow and a small animal at his feet which is usually thought to be a hare. We found that this chap is a blend of the Roman god Silvanus (god of forests and wild fields) and the local Celtic god Cocidius (god of war and hunting). This kind of mix was a neat little trick that was common along the northern frontier, where Roman soldiers borrowed and reshaped local beliefs in order to avoid a bit of tension.

A nice bit of religious diplomacy. Locals felt respected, Romans got cultural stability. The Romans also loved a good cultural mash up. If a local god had power in that landscape, it made sense to honour it and they just folded it into their own system.

Now you might be thinking that this Robin of Risingham is in pretty good nick for something a few thousand years old. That's because it isn't. What you see here is a half size replica installed by the Redesdale Society on the 20th August 1983 using old engraved drawings to show what the full carving once looked like.

The original full size version (1.2m tall) would have stood behind it and apparently all that remains now is his legs, although I couldn't find them. It was our 12th place of the day and my glamorous assistant was waiting impatiently in the car so it was just a cursory scout around.

Fortunately we did find a photo online on geograph.co.uk (photo credit in stamped image).

Sketches made by antiquarians (including John Horsley and others) in the 1800s showed the complete figure with bow cloak animal and a little altar, however a short while after those drawings were made the top section was destroyed. The story goes that a landowner became so irritated by visitors trespassing on his land that he blew the upper block apart and used the sandstone for gateposts. These legs are all that escaped the blast.

We read that Historic England even calls it the only known Roman statue carved straight from solid rock in Northumberland! The carving is located about half a mile from the Habitancum Roman Fort at Risingham.

Although this one is tucked away, it's quite easy to find if you know where to go. From the parking just follow the tarmac track the other side of the tree line, hugging the A68 as it heads SE. After 5 mins look up to the trees and in the months when the trees are bare you should spy Robin of Risingham.

Of course we have the exact location and a map for you if needed. Only 500m away.