Clym of the Clough
Preserved but no longer current.
A noted archer and outlaw, supposed to have lived shortly before Robin Hood, who, with Adam Bell and William of Cloudesly, forms the subject of one of the ballads in Percy's Reliquest the three becoming as famous in the north of England as Robin Hood and Little John in the midland counties. Their place of resort was in Engle- wood Forest, near Carlisle. Clym of the Clough means Clement of the Cliff.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Clym of the Clough” mean?
A noted archer and outlaw, supposed to have lived shortly before Robin Hood, who, with Adam Bell and William of Cloudesly, forms the subject of one of the ballads in Percy's Reliquest the three becoming as famous in the north of England as Robin Hood and Little John in the midland counties. Their place of resort was in Engle- wood Forest, near Carlisle. Clym of the Clough means Clement of the Cliff.
Is “Clym of the Clough” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.