Discovering Viking Archaeology in Sherwood Forest

Archaeologists have spent the week of 17 - 22 January 2011 investigating the area of Thynghowe in Sherwood Forest. Nottinghamshire County Council archaeologists have been using GPS and Total Station surveying techniques. Archaeologists from University College London Assembly Sites Project were using magnetometry equipment to investigate the site. A 'Thyng' (things, dings, tings etc) is a Viking assembly or meeting place, where they met to resolve disputes and make the law. A 'howe' could indicate a prehistoric burial mound. This site demonstrates the possibility of many sites that may lie undiscovered in our historic and ancient forests and woodlands. Thynghowe lay beneath forestry plantation until rediscovered by myself and wife five years ago. It is not much to look at but its past reflects hundreds, if not thousands of years, of use for public assembly by the people of the 'shire' - there is evidence to suggest that 'Sherwood' comes from the original word 'Shirewood' and would have reflected the presence of an Anglo Saxon shire moot. This would have predated the Viking Thynghowe site. These assembly sites had to provide good acoustics for the open air meeting and also enough grazing pasture for horses and water for the many hundreds of people who would have attend a shire moot.

Make Sherwood Forest a 'Heritage Forest'

I welcome the Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman's admission that the government had "got this one wrong" but we must not take our eye of the ball. Safeguarding the 'cultural heritage and archaeology' contained within our local woodlands will still need to be part of any future discussions about forestry management.
Whilst access and biodiversity have been recognised as issues, the archaeology and cultural heritage of our forests seem to have been marginalised.

The debate on the Forestry Commission management of our ancient forests and woodland will still go on but the position in England is that we have possibly the highest concentration in the world of unresearched or under researched historic woodland sites.

Here in Nottinghamshire we have been actively involved with the Forestry Commission for a number of years working on the archaeology contained within Sherwood Forest. As a royal hunting forest Sherwood Forest was 20 miles long and ten miles wide. This geographic area was and is being considered as a regional park.

All Forestry Commission owned and managed woodlands in the Nottinghamshire area are therefore vital to a cohesive forestry facility. This forestry underpins the tourist industry of the area and the overall global appeal of Nottinghamshire. We must be vigilant and ensure the whole of the Sherwood Forest area becomes a designated 'Heritage Forest'.

Forest sale axed: Caroline Spelman says 'I'm sorry'

There is still much to do and be involved with to get and maintain the woodlands we deserve - so - now it is up to all of us to get involved locally with projects and volunteering - check this out for the latest news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12488847