Sherwood Forest Facts & Worksheets

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Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in the English county of Nottinghamshire. It is well-known due to its historical association with the Robin Hood legend. Since the end of the Last Glacial Period, the area has been covered in trees (as attested by pollen sampling cores).

See the fact file below for more information on Sherwood Forest, or you can download our 22-pageSherwood Forest worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Historical Background

• Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve now covers 424.75 hectares (1,049.6 acres) and surrounds the village of Edwinstowe, which is home to Thoresby Hall. 
• It is a remnant of a much larger royal hunting forest that obtained its name from its condition as the shire wood of Nottinghamshire, which enhanced into several neighboring counties (shires) and was bounded on the west by the River Erewash and the Forest of East Derbyshire. When the Domesday Book was formed in 1086, the forest may have covered a quarter of Nottinghamshire (estimated 19,000 hectares or 7,800 square meters) in forests and heath subject to forest laws.

Geography

• Sherwood Forest has grown in an area under Permian and Triassic New Red Sandstone. The majority of the Forest is spread across the Chester Formation, an outcrop of pebbly sandstones. 
• Since the regional dip is gentle to the east, younger rocks are discovered there, while older ones are revealed to the countryside.

• The stone is groundwater that supplies local water. River sands and gravels, river terrace deposits, and some scattered mid-Pleistocene glacial till are examples of Quaternary deposits. The Sherwood NCA contains 41 local geodiversity sites, which include large quarries and river parts.

Management & Conservation

• The Sherwood Forest Trust is a small charity that protects Sherwood Forest’s ancient royal boundary as well as its current national character area. Its objectives include conservation, heritage, and communities, as well as tourism and the economy.
• Nottinghamshire County Council and Forestry England work together to manage an ancient remnant of forest north of Edwinstowe, offering walks, footpaths, and various other activities. It is worth visiting because of the flora and fauna, including ancient oaks, fungi, and wildlife.
• This ancient Sherwood’s central core is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It is an important site for ancient oaks, wood pasture, invertebrates, and fungi, as well as being associated with Robin Hood legends.
• During WWII, parts of Sherwood Forest were extensively used by the military for ammunition storage, POW camps, and training grounds. At Eakring, oil was produced. Large ammunition dumps were abandoned in the forest after the war and were not cleared until 1952, containing at least 46,000 tons of ammunition.
• Nottinghamshire County Council, which handles a small portion of the forest under a rental agreement from the Thoresby Estate, opened a bit of the forest to the public as a country park in 1969. Moreover,  English Nature designated a part of Sherwood Forest as a national wildlife sanctuary in 2002.
• Budby South Forest, Nottinghamshire’s largest group of dry, low, lying heath, was officially incorporated into the Nature Reserve in 2007, nearly doubling its size from 220 to 423 hectares (540 to 1,050 acres).
• In 2015, an innovative Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre was authorized. After being given the green light to handle the woods in 2015, the RSPB opened the brand-new development in August 2018 with a shop and café. The property where the established 1970s visitor center was located was to be restored to wood pasture as part of a contract with Natural England.
• Some parts of the forest still have many ancient oaks, particularly in the area recognized as the Dukeries, south of Worksop, so named because it once housed five ducal residences. 
• The River Idle, a waterway of the Trent, emerges from the convergence of several minor streams in Sherwood Forest.

Tourist Attraction

• Sherwood attracts approximately 350,000 tourists annually, many of whom are from other countries. The nature reserve hosts the Robin Hood Festival every August. This event takes place in a medieval setting and features the protagonists from the Robin Hood myth.
• Visitors are drawn to the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre in the former manager’s residence and stables of Edwinstowe Hall in the heart of the Forest throughout the year. There is art studios and a cafe, and it hosts special events such as craft demonstrations and exhibitions.
• The famous Major Oak, according to local legend, was Robin Hood’s main hideout and can be found in Sherwood Forest. The oak tree is between 800 and 1,000 years old, and an elaborate scaffolding system has primarily funded its vast limbs since the Victorian era. 
• A local company took cuttings from the Major Oak in February 1998. It began nurturing replicas of the famous tree to send saplings to be cultivated worldwide. 
• The Major Oak was showcased on BBC TV in 2005 as one of the Midlands’ natural wonders.
• Throughout the festive seasons, there are signposts in original manuscript costumes in the forest, providing visitors with information. They are each with fantastic knowledge, focused on various topics ranging from the diversity of the woodland to the ballads of Robin Hood. Their stories are designed to inform visitors and let them have enjoyable and fun memories.
• Sherwood has the best collection of 400-year-old or older oaks in Western Europe. These fantastic hollowed spectacles are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. They not only witnessed the English Civil War and everything that has happened since, but they also provided excellent habitat for hundreds of species ranging from rare insects to birds and mammals.
• Take the Giants Trail and count how many magnificent old trees you can spot. There are trails to suit other desires as well. Whether you want to walk in Robin Hood’s footsteps or learn more about the wildlife that calls Sherwood home, pick up a trail guide at the visitor’s center. Each will pass by the Major Oak, only about a fifteen-minute walk from the tourist center.
• It is suitable for people of all ages and is highly recommended. There is a small car park across the road from the park entrance that is free to RSPB representatives.

Sherwood Forest Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Sherwood Forest across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Sherwood Forest, which is a royal forest in the English county of Nottinghamshire. It is well-known due to its historical association with the Robin Hood legend.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

• Sherwood Forest Facts 
• The Truth
• Value of Letters
• Two 2ruths and a Lie
• My Journal
• Deck of Cards
• Flippity
• Collect Memories
• shareWood thoughts!
• Color It!
• Draw the Future

Frequently Asked Questions

What is special about Sherwood Forest?

Sherwood has been a wooded area for centuries. Sherwood was recognized in 2002 as a National Nature Reserve. It has over 1000 ancient oaks and a unique combination of old wood and heathland. The Major Oak is estimated to be around 1,000 years old. It’s also the place where Robin Hood is said to have lived.

How big is Sherwood Forest today?

Today, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve covers 424.75 hectares (1,049.6 acres), surrounding the village of Edwinstowe and home to Thoresby Hall.

What animals live in the Sherwood Forest?

The forest is known for its wildlife, including many different types of birds. These include owls, woodpeckers, redstarts, nuthatches, swallows, swifts, treecreepers, jays, blue tits as well as bats and other insects. There are also 200 species of spiders in the forest and a rare false scorpio.

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Link will appear as Sherwood Forest Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 30, 2022