Sherwood Forest, Royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England.

Sherwood Forest is a woodland in Nottinghamshire, England, whose National Nature Reserve covers 424.75 hectares (1,049.6 acres) around the village of Edwinstowe. It holds more than a thousand oaks over 500 years old, and the Major Oak, roughly twice that age, has a thick furrowed trunk, gnarled limbs and cables running to posts around it.

William the Conqueror designated the area as a royal hunting forest in 1066, covering a quarter of Nottinghamshire according to the Domesday Book. Over centuries the forest remained under royal control, until later use shifted toward forestry and conservation.

The name recalls the royal hunting ground where kings and nobles once rode to chase deer. Today visitors come for the Robin Hood connection and walk the paths through the old trees, following the trail of the legend.

The visitor center offers information, shops, cafés, and access to several walking trails that lead through different parts of the woodland. Sturdy footwear is advisable, as some paths are uneven and can become muddy depending on the season.

The Major Oak is named after Major Hayman Rooke, a Nottinghamshire archaeologist who studied it in the 18th century. Since the Victorian era, part of its branches has been held up by a scaffolding system, and in 2014 it was chosen as England's Tree of the Year.