SHERWOOD FOREST AND ROBIN HOOD
ONE OF THE great attributes of the British is our need for fair play and our defence of the underdog, and if there is one myth/hero/legend who epitomises this it is Robin Hood, which is why, I imagine, he is so popular with all ages and all genders. In our family, we are all great fans and never tire of the stories, or indeed the films of him. One of our favourites is Disney’s Robin Hood so we tend to watch the DVD before venturing out for another visit to Sherwood Forest.
THE PICNIC
It’s a spectacular forest covering some 37 acres which became a royal hunting site at the time of the Normans, and now, although it is a fraction of the size it used to be (it was about 100,000 acres, about a fifth of the entire country), it is still impressive and attracts visitors from all over the world – mostly because of that man in green.
Throughout the last millennia the forest has changed and adapted from a huntsman’s playground to an outlaw’s refuge. The main London to York road, the Great North Road, ran right through the middle of the forest, making it an ideal place from which to rob rich travellers, coaches and carriages while allowing the brigands instant hiding places. And of course, when the wicked Prince John killed Robin of Loxley’s father and outlawed our hero, this became the ideal home for him.
It’s a good idea to call in at the Visitor Centre first because there is always so much going on and new elements are introduced all the time – from additional marked trails to audio guides to extra information on, and maps of, places of interest, such as Thieves’ Wood or the Fountain Dale where Robin first came across Little John. We love all these stories which somehow seem to sit between fact and fiction, but we don’t care – we want to believe these great stories of heroic helpers.
The Picnic Site
Either head for the Sherwood Pine Forest Park where there is ample space for picnics (it is also the start of a number of children’s forest trail) or settle down next to the Major Oak and its shady branches.
As for the forest itself, apart from its magnificent trees there is myriad wildlife from birds to insects to fruits and flowers, not to mention the grazing herds of cattle and sheep. Of course, it is most famous for its ancient trees – the forestry people say there are 900 trees which are over 600 years old! The most famous of all, the Major Oak, is believed to be almost 1,000 years old, although now it is thought that it might be three or four trees which have fused together. Not surprising, really, when you consider that it weighs an estimated 23 tons and measures 10 metres (33 feet) around the waist – it gives the Chubby Grocer something to aim for!
CHEAT’S PICNIC
• The Forest Table Restaurant – good for salads, soups and more, many of the ingredients locally produced
ALSO IN THE AREA
• Rufford Abbey and Country Park – one of the best preserved ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey. The country park has an interesting craft shop, too.
• Hardwick Hall, near Chesterfield – one of the grandest and most magnificent Elizabethan houses in existence, built for the doughty Bess of Hardwick. Marvellous pictures and tapestries and a pretty orchard and herb garden.
• The Workhouse, Southwell – an insight into another century’s version of welfare.
• Clumber Park, Worksop – glorious gardens which sport their own miniature Gothic cathedral, the longest avenue of limes in Europe and a varied choice of children’s walks, trails and events.
• Mr Straw’s House, Worksop – a fascinating look at how people lived in the 1920s.