The word tump means the same as Tumulus.
Near Tarporley in Cheshire, between the villages of Tilstone Fearnall and Alpraham just off the A51, lies a quiet narrow lane called Vale Road. Ramblers, in particular, must have often wondered about the sharp bend in Vale Road around a wooded mound. The mound is actually called Robin Hood’s Tump. It has been known by that name for several hundred years as this is how it appears on 17th century maps.
Unfortunately, little is known about the tump’s history for certain. In Victorian times it was believed to be a Bronze Age burial mound. Likewise, the historian W. J. Varley, before the second world war seemed to agree. In his book ‘Cheshire Before the Romans’ [1964] there was a sketch with notes of ‘finds’ which may have been removed. Nothing has been discovered in more recent excavations.
Tradition has it that Robin Hood strayed into Cheshire and stood on the mound to shoot an arrow at Beeston Crag. There is also a possibility that it had a connection with the Wakes, which were shrouded in Pagan antiquity. After the celebrations on the eve of a Patronal festival, much dancing took place along with drinking and sport. A wooded mound would also have been ideal for re-enacting the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
So, was Robin Hood’s Tump a place for sanctity or was it a place for the young?