Sherwood Forest

By JULIA JONES

Sherwood Forest's links with the legend of Robin Hood make it one of the most visited woods in the country.

Sherwood means shire wood and the forest sometimes used to be referred to as Nottingham Forest.

It was once one of the largest of about 90 Royal forests, which at their greatest extent in the 13th Century covered around a third of England.

Sherwood Forest was about 20 miles long and about ten miles wide. It was a private hunting ground for the royal family and consisted of mixed woodland, as does the last remnant near Edwinstowe of thick woodland, rough heathland and areas of arable land.

William the Conqueror created the royal forests and it is thought that Sherwood became one during his reign. Strict laws were enforced by the Normans to ensure that animals and trees in the forest were protected from inhabitants and travellers.

Nobody was allowed to hunt animals, fell trees, carry weapons or build in the forest without the permission of the king or one of his chief foresters.

The stealing of a deer could result in the offender being blinded, having a hand chopped off or being hanged. Felling a tree could lead to imprisonment.

In medieval times Sherwood Forest extended to the walls of Nottingham and it was a popular hunting ground with nearly all the monarchs from Henry I to Richard III.

In the middle of the 12th Century, Henry II built a hunting lodge in the heart of the forest near Clipstone. The lodge was named King John's Palace in honour of one of King Henry's sons.

The lodge was used over three centuries and was extended several times.

Richard the ys at Clipstone relaxing after capturing Nottingham Castle from supporters of his brother John in 1194.

He entertained the King of Scotland there and documents show that he was impressed with the forest. Not far from the lodge, the remains of which may be seen just off the B6030 in Old Clipstone, stand the remains of an ancient oak.

Edward I is alleged to have held a meeting of parliament under the branches of the oak in 1290, hence its name the Parliament Oak.

During the 16th Century, monarchs were less obsessed with hunting than their predecessors and many trees were felled to make way for farming.

The forest laws were disregarded and eventually forgotten. A large proportion of royal land was sold to rich families who cleared areas of the forest to build mansions with vast landscaped parks.

Visitors to today's forest can park on the outskirts of the village of Edwinstowe, where there is an exhibition centre a shop and a restaurant.
 

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