Sherwood Forest - A Folktale and A Fallen Giant

Major Oak at Sherwood Forest
12 August 2013

Where Nature, Narrative, and Centuries of Human Imagination Meet

Visitors to Sherwood Forest can wander through one of England’s most storied ancient woodlands, home to the legendary Major Oak and centuries of Robin Hood folklore. They’ll also find peaceful walking trails, diverse wildlife, and a landscape that blends myth with natural beauty.

Learn more about the legendary oak below.

Welcome to Sherwood Forest

Activities

Visitors to Sherwood Forest can take part in several outdoor activities, including archery sessions offered at the Center Parcs Sherwood Forest Outdoor Activity Centre, which provides both field archery and target archery experiences for guests . Beyond archery, the wider forest area typically offers guided walks, nature trails, wildlife watching, and seasonal events connected to the Robin Hood legend, though availability varies by season and operator.

Festival

Archery

Walks

The Major Oak and the Forest

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is one of England’s most celebrated ancient trees, estimated to be between 800 and 1,200 years old. Its immense size, with a trunk more than ten meters around and a canopy stretching nearly thirty meters, has long captured the imagination of visitors. Over time, it became entwined with the Robin Hood legend, even though early medieval ballads never mention a specific tree. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, storytellers and local guides began identifying it as the outlaw’s meeting place or hideout, and this association helped transform the oak into a national symbol.

The tree’s name comes from Major Hayman Rooke, an antiquarian who described the great oaks of Sherwood in 1790. His writing drew early tourists to the forest and cemented the Major Oak’s place in popular culture. As visitor numbers grew, the tree’s heavy limbs required support, and protective fencing was added in the twentieth century to safeguard its roots from soil compaction.

In recent years, the Major Oak has faced increasing environmental stress from drought, heatwaves, and the long-term impact of millions of footsteps around its base. In 2026, experts concluded that the tree had died after failing to produce leaves, though it remains standing as a cultural monument and an important habitat for wildlife. Its legacy continues through conservation efforts and saplings grown from its acorns, ensuring that the story of the Major Oak endures even as the original tree enters its final chapter.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood’s legend tells of a gifted archer and outlaw who lived in Sherwood Forest, stealing from corrupt nobles and giving to the poor during a time of harsh rule and social injustice. He is joined by a loyal band of companions—Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Maid Marian—who together outwit the Sheriff of Nottingham, defend the vulnerable, and turn the forest into a refuge where courage, loyalty, and a sense of rough-edged justice flourish.