BattlefieldsNottingham Forest Resistance — Outlaw Actions 1194-1225
Medieval

Nottingham Forest Resistance — Outlaw Actions 1194-1225

1194–1225
Nottinghamshire, England
Also known as: Sherwood Forest Outlaws · Forest Resistance Nottinghamshire
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Nottinghamshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royal forest officials and tax collectors
VS
Victor
Varied
Outcome
Sporadic resistance continued; foresters and poachers in periodic conflict with crown authorities
The Battle

History & Significance

The Sherwood Forest area was a zone of persistent low-level conflict between the crown and those dispossessed by forest law. Following the unpopular forest expansion under the Normans and the heavy taxation of John\'s reign, the forest became a refuge for outlaws, dispossessed knights and villeins. The legend of Robin Hood draws on a real tradition of armed resistance in this area. The Nottingham castle garrison regularly conducted punitive sweeps into the forest, and ambushes of royal officials are documented in forest eyre records of the period.

Forces Involved

Royal foresters and sheriffs; armed outlaw bands of varying size

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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