E X T E N S I O N SHERWOOD FOREST KEY Barnsdale Sherwood Sherwood Forest is a world-famous forest around the village of Edwinstowe in the county1 of Nottinghamshire, England. It is a national symbol because it was the home of Robin Hood. Every summer in the park there is a Robin Hood Festival for a week. During the Festival there is a medieval atmosphere with the most important characters from the Robin Hood s legend. Visitors can see archers, jesters2, musicians and fire-eaters3 dressed in medieval clothes. The history of the forest starts a long time ago. We can find the name Sherwood on documents in the year 958 AD. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, Sherwood Forest becomes a royal4 hunting forest and is very popular with lots of Norman kings. During the time of Robin Hood (13th century), Sherwood Forest covers about 100,000 acres5 one fifth of the county of Nottinghamshire. The most important road of the county (the Great North Way) runs through Sherwood Forest. Along this road, travellers6 often meet robbers7. During Victorian times the forest becomes a tourist attraction. Visitors like looking at the Major Oak8. According to local stories, that oak was Robin s secret hiding place. It is about 1,000 years old. Today Sherwood Forest is very popular. Visitors can walk and try to find the Green Man, the spirit of the forest Robin Hood. 1. county: region. 2. jester: a funny man at the court of kings and queens. 3. fire-eater: someone that puts fire in his / her mouth. 4. royal: belonging to a king or a queen. 5. acre: an area of land measuring 4047 square metres. 6. traveller: someone that travels. 7. robber: a person that steals. 8. oak: 25