The origins of Sherwood Forest
Early history
Evidence of flint tools shows some use of the Sherwood area by prehistoric hunter-gatherers. During the late Iron Age and Roman periods, human habitation and farming was more common. By the 9th century, farming communities were making a greater impact on the Sherwood landscape. Most of these communities still exist today. Names ending in ‘by’ like Thoresby, are Scandinavian in origin, ‘thorpe’ as in Gleadthorpe are Danish, and ‘feld’ (field) as in Mansfield, are Roman.
The royal hunting Forest
The name ‘Sherwood’ was first recorded in 958AD when it was called Sciryuda, meaning ‘the woodland belonging to the shire’. It became a Royal hunting forest after the Norman invasion of 1066, and was popular with many Norman kings, particularly King John and Edward I.
In the 1200s, popularly thought to be the time of Robin Hood, Sherwood covered about 100,000 acres, which was a fifth of the entire county of Nottinghamshire. The main London to York road, the Great North Way, ran straight through Sherwood, and travellers were often at the mercy of robbers living outside of the law. Hence the name ‘outlaw’.
Medieval Sherwood was not - as many imagine - a continuous swathe of dense virgin forest. It comprised birch and oak woodland, interspersed with large areas of open sandy heath and rough grassland. Sherwood also contained three Royal deer parks, near Nottingham Castle, Bestwood and Pittance (Clipstone) Park.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, various Christian monastic orders had established large estates within Sherwood Forest, on land granted to them by the Crown. Among the abbeys founded during this period were Rufford, Thurgarton and Newstead. Established forest communities grew larger, and new ones were created, some often marked by the name ‘woodhouse’, such as Mansfield Woodhouse. Markets also appeared, as at Mansfield and Market Warsop.
18th Century Sherwood Sherwood
By this time, large areas of Crown land in Sherwood had been sold or gifted to nobles and court favourites. These private landlords created the fine country estates of Thoresby, Rufford, Welbeck, Wollaton and Newstead. Because of the titled aristocrats who owned them, these estates became collectively known as the ‘Dukeries’.
Victorian Sherwood and The Major Oak
During Victorian times, Sherwood became a tourist attraction, with interest in the ancient ‘greenwood’ fuelled by romantic novels set in medieval times, such as Walter Scotts’ Ivanhoe. The main areas visited centred around the Major Oak, one of many hundreds of old Sherwood oaks. Today, this world famous oak, at least 800 years old, weighs an estimated 23 tons, its trunk circumference is 33 feet (10m) and its branches spread to over 92 feet (28m).
Industrialisation
The industrialisation of the 19th and 20th centuries bought a major impact on Sherwood. Coal mining, new coal towns and villages, the coming of the canals, railways, factories, roads, farming, grazing, ship building and industrial use, Victorian tourism, private ownership, conversion to country estate deer parks: all these impacted on the Sherwood landscape.
Sherwood in the 20th century
A landmark since Victorian times, the Major Oak and its surrounding woodland continued to be popular with a growing number of tourists interested in the Robin Hood legend. The growth of car ownership made it easier for visitors from further afield to access the forest. The area now known as Sherwood Country Park was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI ) in 1954; this area being selected as the part of old Sherwood Forest still best maintaining its historical character and wildlife interest.
Sherwood today
Today, Sherwood Country Park home to the many ancient Oaks including the Major Oak, lies just north of Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire, with annual visitor figures of around 500,000.
For more information on the history of Sherwood Forest visit www.sherwoodforest.org.uk
