Archery

Get closer to the legend of Robin Hood and try your hand at archery in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. 

During main visitor periods, it is not uncommon to see have-a-go archery taking place near the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest. In fact it’s a certainty at the annual Robin Hood Festival, which takes place each August at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.

You can also enjoy testing your virtual archery skills at Nottingham Castle as part of their Robin Hood Adventures offering, included in your ticket price! In their coach-arch gaming spaces, you can fire a longbow to defeat your companions in a digital archery competition, proving you’re Robin’s equal or, with quarterstaff in hand, spar with Little John in the depths of Sherwood Forest.

With over 40 on-site activities to choose from, there’s always something for visitors of any age and ability to enjoy at Walesby Forest. Popular activities include water sports, climbing, archery and the legendary giant crate stack and to ensure that the outdoor action takes place in a safe, low-pressure environment, a friendly and experienced team of dedicated instructors are on-hand at all times.

Pick up a bow and arrow at Rufford Abbey Activty Centre for a fun experience, which is all about giving people the chance to try archery in a safe environment. With excellent equipment and facilitated by skilled coaches, you are sure to have a wonderful time. Come and try and hit the bullseye before moving onto the boating lake, adventure golf or more!

The Notts Maze is set within 12 acres of land and is great fun for all ages. Once you've escaped the maze and had a photograph with their famous scarecrows, why not try a taster session of archery or axe throwing, located at the exit of the maze, for a memorable day out? You can also enjoy snacks and drinks at their on-site bar and cafe.

Set in 270 acres of parkland, Holme Pierrepont Country Park, home of the National Water Sports Centre is one of the UK’s hidden gems. Just 10 minutes from the city centre, there is something for everyone including archery combat at their Outdoor Aventure Zone.

Forest Holidays offer guests a chance to enjoy a variety of fantastic acitvities including archery, Forest Ranger activities and clay target shooting. Hidden amongst the trees in the Sherwood Pines Forest Park, their location also offers 3,300 acres of forest to explore from your cabin doorstep. The legend of Robin Hood pervades this Nottinghamshire forest, and adds flavour to the forest adventures that await.

Whilst staying at Belton Woods, you can escape life's pressures with weird and wonderful activities including archery, outdoor tennis, quad-biking, the Espa spa and a PGA championship approved golf course. 

The History of Archery

Archery is the chosen sport and method of hunting for Robin Hood. In medieval England the sport was hugely popular and archery was in common use. Most people associate Robin with using a longbow and it is likely that this type was around during that time as it is mentioned that the Normans used the weapon in the Battle of Hastings.

The longbow is traditionally five to six-feet tall and actually firing from a medieval longbow took some effort in comparison to today’s modern bows. Draw weight could be up to twice as heavy (tight) than current bows and arrows. Given the size and effort, it seems unlikely then that Robin would have practised archery from horseback.

The preferred wood for making a longbow was yew and it is thought that making one could take up to four years as the wood had to be treated and dried. The average longbow could also fire arrows of around 200 metres and again due to the effort of firing, around six arrows a minute could be fired by archers in battle.

The Silver Arrow Competition

Archery takes on a particular relevance in the Robin Hood legend during the tale of the Silver Arrow competition. Did Robin really split an arrow? The legend comes from the ballad the Gest of Robin Hood where Robin disguises himself to defeat the Sheriff in the competition.

Early references mention Robin ‘splitting the Wand’ which was a small piece of wood placed against the target. Whilst it wasn’t quite as difficult as an arrow tail, it would only have taken a practised archer to achieve such a feat.

With so much history and activities available in Nottinghamshire, we’re the spiritual home of archery.