Archaeological sites · East Midlands
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a archaeological site in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Shirebrook · 8.6 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Sherwood Forest is an archaeological site in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 423 km². Coordinates: 53.2045°, -1.0728°.
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Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Birklands West and Ollerton Corner SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Birklands and Bilhaugh SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: SHERWOOD FOREST
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Sherwood Forest consists of the remnants of an ancient royal forest in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is associated with the legend of Robin Hood. The forest was proclaimed by William the Conqueror and mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. The reserve has the highest concentration of ancient trees in Europe. Today, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve encompasses 424.75 hectares (1,049.6 acres), surrounding the village of Edwinstowe and the site of Thoresby Hall. The reserve contains more than a thousand ancient oaks which are known to be more than 500 years old, with the Major Oak being twice that age.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
During Roman Britain various camps were discovered in parts of Sherwood Forest. It is to this that two remains of Roman villas were identified in nearby Mansfield Woodhouse by Major Hayman Rooke in 1787. Sherwood Forest was first recorded as being named Sciryuda in 958 AD. The village of Edwinstowe takes its name from King Edwin of Northumbria. In 1066, in the invasion of England, William the Conqueror made Sherwood Forest a Royal Hunting Forest. When the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the forest covered perhaps a quarter of Nottinghamshire (approximately 19,000 acres or 7,800 hectares) in woodland and heath subject to the forest laws. The earliest notice of the forest at Sherwood was…
Visiting
Sherwood attracts around 350,000 tourists annually, many from other countries. Each August the nature reserve hosts a week-long Robin Hood Festival. This event recreates a medieval atmosphere and features the major characters from the Robin Hood legend. The week's entertainment includes jousters and strolling players dressed in medieval attire, in addition to a medieval encampment complete with jesters, musicians, rat-catchers, alchemists and fire eaters. The Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre is in the former coach house and stables of Edwinstowe Hall. The centre contains art studios and a café and hosts special events, including craft demonstrations and exhibitions.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 53.2045, -1.0728
- County
- Nottinghamshire
- District
- Newark and Sherwood
- Parish
- Edwinstowe
- Postcode
- NG21 9HN
- Parliamentary constituency
- Sherwood Forest
- Nearest railway station
- Shirebrook — 8.6 km
- Official site
- www.eyemead.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q919191 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Sherwood Forest (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Oldest tree in Sherwood Forest park.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Sherwood Forest?
- Sherwood Forest is in Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode NG21 9HN), in the parish of Edwinstowe.
- Who owns Sherwood Forest?
- Sherwood Forest is owned by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Nottinghamshire County Council, Forestry England.
- Is Sherwood Forest a protected site?
- Yes — Sherwood Forest is part of the Birklands West and Ollerton Corner SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Birklands and Bilhaugh SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Sherwood Forest?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode NG21 9HN. It sits within the Sherwood Forest parliamentary constituency.