Great Haywood, Past and Present, People and Places

by David Robbie

Founded by Angles in the sixth century and recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, Great Haywood, with its manor that included the adjacent estate of Shugborough and the ancient Forest of Cank, became an important political, religious and commercial centre in the Middle Ages. It was involved in the tumultuous events surrounding the overthrow of Richard II in the 14th century, the Wars of the Roses of the 15th century, Tudor intrigues in the 16th century, the English Civil War of the 17th century, the Jacobite Rebellion of the 18th century, and the transport revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Great Haywood’s location on four great highways of travel and trade has allowed it to witness the migration of early settlers, the passage of powerful kings and queens, large armies and rich merchants, as well as eminent travellers and writers. Situated on the important River Trent, it also enjoyed the golden age of coaching, was once one of the busiest canal junctions in England and saw the building of two important national railway lines. It has been home to powerful nobles, influential politicians, fine artists and writers, a serial killer, Nazi war criminals and a large tropical reptile. And how many villages can boast of fascinating links with the Faerie Queene, the Holy Grail and The Lord of the Rings? Read on to find out more.

570 pages, Paperback

Published May 24, 2024

About the author

Married to Dawn. We live in Kirkcaldy (Scotland), where we share our home with two cats and a dog.
I have also written the sequel to Sorrow's Retribution, published in 2015. It's titled 'A Legacy of Grief' and is also available on Amazon. I plan to begin the third instalment in Autumn of 2015.
You can follow the progress on Twitter @sorrowssequel