Geek4travel

I moved back to England from Australia Two years ago and settled in Nottingham. One of the things you notice when living here is the county’s association with the famous outlaw Robin Hood. When entering the county you are greeted by the sign ’Welcome to Robin Hood County’, streets are named after him as well as his merry men and wife, Maid Marian. Sitting high up on top of a cliff over looking the city is Nottingham Castle, the famous home of the evil ’Sheriff of Nottingham’, below this is the ’Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’, England’s oldest Inn, serving drinks for over 800 years, It is reported that Robin Hood himself drank here.

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Of course we have all heard the stories, seen the movies and the TV programmes and in all of these there is one place that is at the heart of each story and that is Sherwood Forest! This is where Robin and his merry men hid from the law, this was his home and this was where they would ambush rich travellers travelling through the forest.

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Only 20 miles from Nottingham, Sherwood Forest still exists today. Chell and I made the half hour drive there from Nottingham as the rain fell slowly, a dull, wet day that doesn’t suit a walk through the woods, but this isn’t just any woods.

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Don’t be surprised like I was at first with the full car park and coach tours pulling in, after all this is one of the most famous forest’s in the world and receives over 500,000 visitors a year. It is large enough however to cater for this with different paths leading off in different directions into the mysterious forest. Chell and I soon found ourselves on our own deep in to the woods in search of the Major Oak, the 900 year old hollow tree that was home to Robin Hood. A 15 minute walk from the visitors centre and your there, the old tree sits propped up by metal poles, guarded by a wooden fence which snap happy tourists lean on to get their picture of the historic celebrity, not wanting to look out of place, I to find my spot as Chell snaps away at me posing with the tree.

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As Chell and I wonder off on another path into the woods we wonder if the stories and legends are really true? If they are, these trees we walk past, the paths we walk on would bare witness to it all, oh if only they could talk!

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Sherwood Forest is certainly worth a visit, your imagination runs wild here surrounded by these magical stories, but the one thing I would say to bear In mind is whilst walking around this historic forest, stay on the well trodden paths, this place is a dog walkers paradise and like me, you will end up taking the shit home with you!

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Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve

Edwinstowe

Mansfield

Nottinghamshire, England

NG21 9HN

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http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/leisure/countryparks/sherwoodforestcp.htm

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Contact

General enquiries: tel: 0844 9 80 80 80 (8am - 8pm Mon-Fri; 8am - 12 noon Sat)

or tel: 01623 823202 (10am - 5pm Monday to Friday)

Park rangers and office tel: 01623 823202

Forest Table restaurant tel: 01623 823202 ext 32

Fax: 01623 823202

email: enquiries@nottscc.gov.uk

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Admission to the park is FREE. A small seasonal car parking charge applies at certain times of year.