Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre & National Nature Reserve

About

Today, the forest is a magical destination for everyone who wants to enjoy this beautiful ancient woodland and the diverse flora and fauna that lives here. It is also, of course, home to the enduring legend of Robin Hood. For the 350,000 people who come to Sherwood Forest each year, we seek to make every one of those visits just a little bit magical…

Here you’ll find 375 hectares in our part of the National Nature Reserve, which is home to hundreds of species of bird, insect, mammal, fungi, tree and plant.

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Sherwood Forest has, for centuries, conjured up visions of its most famous resident – Robin Hood.

At the heart of Sherwood’s legend, Robin and his merry men defend the rights of the poor, fool the law and hide out in amongst the forest’s famous oaks – a legend that has constantly adapted since the late medieval age, but has always endured.

Tales of Robin Hood and his heroic acts still bring an air of magic to the woodlands he is said to have roamed. Maybe he still does…

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Wooded for centuries, and once part of a vast royal hunting ground, Sherwood’s a unique place to visit, boasting hundreds of ancient oaks thriving here for more than 500 years, including the legendary Major Oak, estimated to be as much as 1,200 years old.

Sherwood once covered an area of approximately 100,000 acres, around a fifth of the modern county of Nottinghamshire.

Its name, first recorded as ‘Sciryuda’ in the 10th Century, means ‘wood belonging to the Shire’.

The idea that Sherwood was a wild, thickly-wooded landscape is a romanticised view of how Robin Hood’s forest would have looked then.

By the time the Normans had conquered England, Sherwood was already an area which had been managed and shaped by the people who had lived since at least the era of the Roman occupation of Britain.

In the Middle Ages, ‘Forest’ was a legal term, and meant an area subject to laws designed to protect the valuable resources of timber and game within its boundaries. These laws were strictly and severely imposed by agisters, foresters, verderers (wardens) and rangers, who were all were employed by the Crown.

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Apart from the legend of Robin Hood? Amongst many other wonderful things, the jewel in our crown is the collection of ancient oaks across the Sherwood landscape area – almost 1,000 of them, making this the biggest and best place to find these trees in Europe.

There’s also some amazing invertebrate species and birds like the lesser spotted woodpecker and tree pipit.

All of this, and the fact that it’s one of the best surviving examples of oak-birch woodland in the UK, make Sherwood a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) protected under European law.

As a unique habitat, much of what thrives here is rarely seen outside the forest, and even here some of our more elusive species are hard to spot, making sightings all the more exciting and memorable.

Things to do

A new visitor centre opened in 2018, managed by the RSPB and their partners on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, heralding a new era for the forest and its very special collection of ancient oak trees and wildlife.

From the popular Robin Hood Festival, which attracts visitors from around the world to learning about woodland crafts or the rich history of Sherwood and Edwinstowe to finding out about the conservation work being done here, here something at Sherwood for all interests.

During holiday periods, there are guides in traditional medieval costumes in the forest, offering information to visitors, each with fantastic knowledge, focused on a range of topics from the diversity of the woodland to the ballads of Robin Hood – their stories are designed to make visits interesting, memorable and fun!

And talking of memorable visits, no trip to Sherwood is complete without seeing the Major Oak. This majestic giant has a canopy spanning 28 metres, a trunk 10m in girth and has watched over this special landscape for a millennium. It is a truly wondrous tree to see in any season. In fact, Sherwood has the finest collection of ancient oaks in Western Europe – that is, aged 400 years or more. These fantastic hollowed spectacles come in an assortment of shapes and sizes.  As well as having been around to see the English Civil War and all that’s happened since, they also provide fantastic homes for hundreds of species – from rare insects to mammals and birds.

Take the Giants Trail, and see how many of these wonderful old trees you can find. There’s trails to suit other interests too, whether you want to walk in Robin Hood’s footsteps or find out more about the wildlife which makes its home at Sherwood – pick up a trail guide in the visitor centre.  Each will go past the Major Oak – just a short fifteen minute walk or so from the new visitor centre.

There’s a host of other walks to do through the forest if you want to go a little further, including the beautiful heathland up at Budby South Forest – speak to the site team or pick up a map to find the best routes to take.

Events are staged throughout the year, and range from learning archery skills, to guided talks and walks and activities themed around Robin Hood, Sherwood history and a host of nature topics. See our website for details of dates, prices and how to book.

Food and drink

The new café offers a host of hot dishes as well as sandwiches, snacks and delicious cakes and a range of hot and cold drinks to enjoy inside or out - seated under our fantastic rooftop canopy, or in our new amphitheatre, with a wall-to-wall view across the forest. You could even get your food and drinks to go, and enjoy a forest picnic with the family.

Shopping and play

As you’d expect, the shop at Sherwood stocks everything you need for a legendary visit to the forest, from toy bows and arrows, to Robin and Marion dressing up costumes and souvenir gifts, t-shirts, books and local produce. There’s also a range of RSPB products.

From here, you can see across to the new Robin Hood-themed play area which includes a look-out post, swings  and rope bridge.  It is built among the trees – just where the legendary outlaw loved to be!

Parking

The new car park is situated along Swinecote Road, just a short walk away from the visitor centre. All-day parking is just £4 for cars, and free for RSPB members, coaches and minibuses. Disabled bays are available adjacent to the new visitor centre.

Accessibility

The new centre is accessible for wheelchair users and there is a lift to get between floors, as well as a ramp on the outside. The forest trails are wide with no steps and surfaced with firm gravel or shale chippings, although they can be muddy in wet weather and some are quite steep in places.

As well as accessible toilets, the new centre also has a Changing Places facility, including a shower, toilet and a hoist for the safety and comfort of visitors who require extra space and equipment.

Robin Hood Festival

Held for a full seven days in August, this popular family event attracts around 40,000 visitors to Sherwood Forest, to see a host of medieval attractions and entertainment, to browse olde world stalls and take part in a range of Robin Hood-themed fun. It’s free to attend (there is an increased car-parking charge for the week, and certain bookable events have a small charge too).