All roads lead to Sherwood Forest for Major Oak Festival

Nottinghamshire County Council and The Sherwood Forest Trust are teaming up again this month for the annual festival to celebrate the world-famous Major Oak.
The Major Oak Festival takes place at Sherwood Forest this month. Picture: Tracey WhitefootThe Major Oak Festival takes place at Sherwood Forest this month. Picture: Tracey Whitefoot
The Major Oak Festival takes place at Sherwood Forest this month. Picture: Tracey Whitefoot

On September 10 and 11, Sherwood Forest will stage the Major Oak Woodland Festival, the only festival in the world that is hosted by a tree!.

Now in its third year, the festival attracts people from all around the world where Sherwood Forest provides the unique back drop of ancient oaks and birch trees that set this apart from other woodland festivals.

Once part of the Royal Forest of Sherwood, the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve is a magnificent wildlife area and the jewel in Nottinghamshire’s environmental heritage crown.

During the festival, Sherwood Forest will also be full of bodgers.

The bodgers’ main craft was producing chairs but these days their creativity includes all sorts of items from spoons to bowls and from chairs to light pulls.

The do all this using no, or very few, power tools.

Don’t confuse a ‘bodge’ job with a ‘botched job’ which is bad piece of work.

The bodgers’ heritage craft is a thing of beauty and delight.

Coun John Knight, culture committee chairman at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This autumn event is very popular and is a great celebration of Sherwood Forest and our iconic Major Oak, as traditional and modern woodland crafts and skills are displayed and promoted in the historic forest.”

This free fun day out for the whole family brings together heritage crafts, traditional toys, outdoor learning and environmental play, conservation organisations, learning about bugs and critters and more.

Enjoy a fine day in Sherwood Forest, meet bodgers, charcoal burners, wood turners, conservation organisations and be inspired to get back to nature.

It’s also your chance to find out if you are smarter than the Major Oak.

So will you dare to ask this grand ancient oak tree a question?

Sponsoring the festival is the Woodhead Group, a local family-owned award-winning group of companies celebrating their 70th anniversary having been founded in 1946.

The festival is also supported by Newark and Sherwood Council.

The festival runs from 11am to 4pm each day.

Parking charges are £3 for cars (including blue badge holders), £1 for motorbikes and free for minibuses and coaches.