Project info

Promoting the heritage of Sherwood Forest through community involvement:

Sherwood Forest is a place of myths and legends known throughout the world as the home of Robin Hood...

The Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project enables people from all walks of life to become involved in an amazing community archaeology project...


Mercian Archaeological Services as a Community Interest Company provides opportunities for different groups and individuals to experience their Local Heritage together... the Project engages people from all walks of life and ages; including adults with learning difficulties, young people, as well as those currently out of work desiring transferable skills, students needing experience, and volunteers... in this landscape of legends and folklore... all overseen by professional community archaeologists.

Community Archaeology can be a great source of social good as well as education.

The project combines community archaeology, research and outreach work- that promotes the archaeology, history and heritage of the wider Sherwood Forest, its landscape and people.

This research is intrinsically linked to raising the profile and value of the wider Sherwood Forest area.

Please explore the site to learn more about this amazing project…

…come and be part of the Future of Sherwood’s Past…



The ethos and aims of the Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project:


The Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project has the tag-line "the future of Sherwood's Past" and aims to be a new community driven way of undertaking and supporting archaeological and historical research in the forest.


The Sherwood Forest Archaeology project is a Community Archaeology project- this means involving volunteers and the community in all aspects (where possible) of archaeological research and investigations.


The project is designed to bring sustainability to archaeological projects and investigations in Sherwood Forest by combining a number of funding streams including private, corporate, public and crowd-funding.


The project aims to undertake long-term research across the whole area of Sherwood Forest and beyond.


The project also seeks to be a free resource, where all research and fieldwork are available to the community at large, to foster a greater understanding of the heritage of Sherwood Forest.


The project aims to promote the notion of a wider Sherwood Forest that stretches across the multitude of sites that link together to make up this unique and exciting landscape.
The Project engages people from all walks of life and ages; including adults with learning difficulties, young people, as well as those currently out of work desiring transferable skills, students needing experience, and volunteers... in this landscape of legends and folklore... all overseen by professional community archaeologists.



Community benefits:


The project aims to help communities to engage in their heritage, and is underpinned by a strong belief in the power of the narrative of that heritage; in bringing about social cohesion, and a sense of place and belonging.


The project also seeks to bring increased value to the landscape of the forest through a better understanding of the heritage of that landscape; through the direct involvement of the community in the research, and through the sharing of that new knowledge with the wider world.


The project seeks to bring investment into Sherwood Forest, directly to the project, but also through increased foot-fall, with visitors to projects and events spending money in the area at the various attractions and in local businesses.


Internet and social media output is designed to share knowledge but to also promote the landscape of the forest to a global audience, which we hope will result in all the benefits to the community brought about by a raising of its profile.


The project seeks to foster a wider appreciation of the heritage and landscape of Sherwood Forest in order to promote better management of the landscape and heritage, and also to encourage tourism.


The project believes in fostering connections between businesses and groups to create networks that are powerful and sustainable, which can bring about genuine change in the area.


The project is also aimed to tie in with notions of Green Infrastruture and the understanding of the value of Heritage within a sustainable system of land management.


The output from the projects research can be seen at the project blog: www.sherwoodforesthistory.com (over 140,000 global page views)
and at the Facebook page : www.facebook.com/sherwoodforesthistory (over 3,300 followers).


The Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project is currently developing and funding many projects across the forest area including Spa Ponds and Clipstone Peel, St Edwin's Chapel, King John's Palace, Clipstone, Edwinstowe and others. The project has also undertaken many phases of work in Kings Clipstone and King John's Palace.


Archaeological Benefits:


The project aims to undertake long-term research across the whole area of Sherwood Forest and beyond.


The project and individual sub-projects are designed to follow and answer key regional and national research questions.


The project is designed to form part of a new Post-Roman ceramic type series for Nottinghamshire.


The project aims to employ archaeologists to undertake investigations to the highest possible standards and for the purposes of research- enabling employment where there was none.

The project puts research back at the fore-front of investigations. For too long archaeology has become simply a part of the planning process, preventing long term research strategies.

Undertaking projects based on research means that sites that have and will not be looked at in the planning system can receive the attention they deserve.

The project seeks to raise standards in archaeological investigations and recording and dissemination in the area.

All archaeological works are carried out to the standards and guidance of the Institute for Archaeologists.

The project offers training and work experience opportunities to archaeology students and post-graduates.

The project employs archaeological specialists from ceramics, environmental sciences, geologists, geophysicists, forensics, metalwork, bones (animal and human), and utilises academics and professionals to provide work for others in the industry and to provide the highest quality research.

All finished reports are submitted with the local authority Historic Environment Records office.

All reports are available for download from Mercian Archaeological Services CIC.

Oasis entries are made for all reports. Unfortunately Nottinghamshire is one of only two local authorities not signed up to the Oasis system in the entire United Kingdom, so this facility will be limited until this is changed.


Supporting Community Groups:


The project provides support to the work of community groups in Sherwood Forest by provide access to experts on the archaeology of the forest.

The project archaeologists can offer archaeological consultancy to groups.

The project also promotes and supports the work of groups and individuals working in Sherwood Forest including through the internet and social media.

www.mercian-as.co.uk/sherwoodforest.html