Robin Hood is probably the world's most famous outlaw, and a beloved one at that (who wouldn't like a guy who robbed from the rich to give to the poor? (only the rich, I'd guess)). His hideout, like him, is legendary: Sherwood Forest, where he hid from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Sherwood and Nottingham are the two most famous places associated with the legend, so we set out to explore them on a Robin Hood-themed day.
Sherwood forest is nowhere near the size it would have been in Robin's day, but a portion of it still exists about 20 miles north of Nottingham. Sherwood has a visitor centre- the natural start to any excursion there. It's free to explore the park (with a nominal parking fee), though you can pick up guides for a small fee. It is what you'd expect- a forest, with several paths through it. It features some ancient, some peculiar, and some beautiful trees and scenery. The most famous tree- the Major Oak- is believed to be 1150 years old. It's huge, and requires metal supports in its old age. It's a nice park, and you can enjoy it at a leisurely pace in about two hours. It is possible for strollers- we had no issues using ours- though parts can be muddy. The visitor centre has a nice restaurant and gift shop, where (shocker!!) many Robin Hood books and souvenirs are available for purchase.
Nottingham, 20 miles south of the modern forest, is a major town, with plenty of character- but not a lot in the Robin Hood vein. Almost nothing is left of Nottingham Castle- the gatehouse (pictured here) is all that remains, with a statue to the outlaw nearby. There's a Robin Hood walk around the city, which we did for a bit, but it was disappointing. Overall, Nottingham was a decent town, but there are better in England.
I enjoyed our trip overall, but, in hindsight, would have skipped Nottingham and seen Edwinstowe instead- a town right next to Sherwood Forest, with more character and Robin Hood connections.
Ratings:
Sherwood: A-
Nottingham: B-
Sherwood forest is nowhere near the size it would have been in Robin's day, but a portion of it still exists about 20 miles north of Nottingham. Sherwood has a visitor centre- the natural start to any excursion there. It's free to explore the park (with a nominal parking fee), though you can pick up guides for a small fee. It is what you'd expect- a forest, with several paths through it. It features some ancient, some peculiar, and some beautiful trees and scenery. The most famous tree- the Major Oak- is believed to be 1150 years old. It's huge, and requires metal supports in its old age. It's a nice park, and you can enjoy it at a leisurely pace in about two hours. It is possible for strollers- we had no issues using ours- though parts can be muddy. The visitor centre has a nice restaurant and gift shop, where (shocker!!) many Robin Hood books and souvenirs are available for purchase.
Nottingham, 20 miles south of the modern forest, is a major town, with plenty of character- but not a lot in the Robin Hood vein. Almost nothing is left of Nottingham Castle- the gatehouse (pictured here) is all that remains, with a statue to the outlaw nearby. There's a Robin Hood walk around the city, which we did for a bit, but it was disappointing. Overall, Nottingham was a decent town, but there are better in England.
I enjoyed our trip overall, but, in hindsight, would have skipped Nottingham and seen Edwinstowe instead- a town right next to Sherwood Forest, with more character and Robin Hood connections.
Ratings:
Sherwood: A-
Nottingham: B-
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