Afternoons in Sherwood Forest

One can't very well live for a year in Nottingham, and then go home saying, "I've never been to Sherwood Forest."

Becca, Natalino, Alex, and Noah with the Major Oak.

So this past week, over three afternoons, I shuttled the group by car, four at a time, to the Sherwood Forest Country Park. The park is operated by the Nottinghamshire County Council as an interpretive center within the Sherwood National Nature Reserve.

Ben enjoys the interior of an ancient tree.

Actually, our students have been living in Sherwood Forest since they arrived! The forest once extended more than 100,000 acres, covering much of the county. But the agricultural revolution of the 1700s, and the industrial revolution of the 1800s, did enormous damage. The protected area is only about 400 acres today.

Elise strikes a pose, "being the tree."

There are oak trees in the preserve that are estimated to be 800-1000 years old. One of the oldest is known as "The Major Oak." It's a living tree, but tree surgeons have used so much steel cable and so many steel posts to hold up its branches, that one would have to say it's on life support.

Sherwood makes the most of the Robin Hood legend.

Of course, thanks to Hollywood, Sherwood Forest is best known as the home of Robin Hood. Most legends have a basis in fact, but the facts surrounding Robin Hood, Maid Marian, the Merry Men, and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, are lost to history. It's unclear if such a person ever existed. But the statues (and the gift shops) at Sherwood Forest make the most of the legend.