Sherwood Forest
Sherwood, the Shire Wood of Nottinghamshire, was once a great woodland mass, covering much of central England; from Nottingham in the south it stretched for 20 miles and more to the north. Today, only scraps of the original forest survive, the best of which is located around the village of Edwinstowe.
It is probable that William the Conqueror designated Sherwood a Royal forest, that is, a private hunting ground for the king's use only. The Norman kings were passionate hunters, and legislation made to conserve the game, and to protect the vegetation, was most rigidly upheld. In later times, under the Tudor and Stuart monarchs of the 16th century, these strictly observed laws were relaxed. As a result, many trees were felled to provide agricultural land, and the forest was eventually divided between local aristocratic families. Most especially between the four great private estates of Rufford, Welbeck, Clumber and Thoresby, known collectively as The Dukeries.
Sherwood was gradually decimated in the following centuries - many thousands of oak trees were felled in the 19th century, for shipbuilding, and to fuel the iron industry. Much of the forest eventually gave way to mines, and in the 20th century, the two World Wars completed its decline.
Sherwood Forest will be forever linked with England's most popular folk hero, Robin Hood, whether he existed in reality or not. Contemporary literature refers to 12th century robber bands operating in the forest, one of which may have been led by Robin Hood. At the heart of Sherwood lies the pretty village of Edwinstowe, rich in association with Robin and his merry men. The 12th century Church of St Mary was the first stone building in the village, and if we are to believe local legend, it is the very place where Robin Hood married Maid Marion. Here too is the Major Oak, the meeting place for Robin and his outlaws, a huge sprawling oak tree at least 500 years old.
The Middle Ages saw the height of the legendary Robin's popularity, for minstrels and ballad-makers made him the ideal avenger of the people's wrongs. He was cheerful, just, chivalrous and God-fearing; though an outlaw, he was always dignified and gracious. His sanctuary was the forest, and his chief enemies were corrupt officials and greedy priests in general and the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham in particular. The oldest surviving ballad about Robin Hood, 'A Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode', was printed in 1489, though the ballad itself probably dates from the last quarter of the 14th century. In it Robin is a 14th century outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, a superb archer and a baiter of greedy churchmen. This conflicts with the date generally agreed for Robin's possible existence, late 12th to early 13th century. In the 18th century, a scholar called Joseph Ritson compiled a two- volume anthology of the literature of Robin Hood, concluding that he was an outlaw of noble descent, born about 1160 in the reign of Henry II, and definitely a Nottinghamshire man. Ritson's work is the basis of most modern versions of the Robin Hood story, as depicted on television and in films and modern literature.
The Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, at Edwinstowe, houses a display of characters from the Robin Hood tales. In fact, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck and Will Scarlet are documented as factual people, who did live in and around Sherwood Forest. The Sherwood Forest Amusement Park, at Edwinstowe, opens daily between March and October. For mementoes of Robin Hood, visit 'Robin's Den', located in the High Street. Near Edwinstowe, is the Sherwood Forest Farm Park, with many animals on display. Set in an idyllic location, the Farm Park is also ideal for picnics and walking - tea and gift shops are available.