Hanging Wood is also known as Highfields Wood. It is situated between the old Great North Road and the Roman Road, and between the mining villages of Highfields and Woodlands. The Woodlands wildlife park and an ornamental lake, Highfields Lake are features of the wood, as is Woodlands, a former country house, now a social club.
Map of Hanging Wood, Doncaster, UK
Woodlands is an early 20th-century model village, built for the miners at Brodsworth Colliery.
Hanging Wood was part of Barnsdale Forest, where the original Robin Hood ballads are set. There is a Robin Hood's stream rises near the Roman Road at Highfields approximately 200yards east of the Cinder path between Highfields and Woodlands and flows into the river Pick or (Pick burn) which itself flows into Highfields Lake. Hanging Wood was reputedly one of the favourite 'hold up' spots for the 17th Century Highwayman William Nevison (Swift Nick,Black Bob). The London to York Stage coach had to negotiate a small valley at the point where the Roman Ridge crossed over the Pick Burn in Hangingwood due to having to reduce speed to negotiate this natural obstacle the Stage coaches had to reduce speed to walking pace which made them vulnerable to ambush in what is still an isolated location. There is a reoord of one such attack in the Archives at Doncaster Council where a 'Hue and Cry' (Pose) was raised and said highwayman chased to Owston Village via Skellow before he evaded the his pursuers. The Ghost of a 'Headless Horsman' allegedly haunts the Roman Ridge at Hanging wood.