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Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest
Nottingham, England

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2025 Dates

1 week: July 20-26 | July 27-Aug 2 â€‹ | Aug 3-9 | Aug 10-16

2 weeks: Aug 3-16  |  Aug 10-23​

Talk to us about extending your travels with a custom itinerary!​​​

£1,099/week

Ages: 18+

15-17 with adult (or signoff)

10 participants per week

​Participation is subject to availability and is at the full discretion of the dig location. Prices and dates dates subject to change. All Terms + Conditions apply.​

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About Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest

When one thinks of Sherwood Forest, it’s immediately associated with the tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. In medieval times, Sherwood Forest was an extensive royal hunting reserve, where the deer and trees were protected by Forest Law, and where outlaws and villains rubbed shoulders with kings, foresters, knights, and common folk.

 

At the heart of Medieval Sherwood Forest lay King John’s Palace. Although known to historians, and local people, the Palace has been overlooked as part of the history of this area. However, thanks to recent archaeological research, the secrets of the Palace are gradually being revealed and its importance to the story of Sherwood Forest is beginning to re-emerge.

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How you will make an impact on this archeology dig

You will be taking part in an excavation at the site of King John’s Palace. Every feature you dig, and every artefact you uncover, will add to the understanding of this once important royal site. The Sherwood Forest Archaeological Training Excavation has been running for over a decade, and forms part of the wider Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project which, among other things seeks to understand this history of Sherwood Forest and the development of the landscape there, over thousands of years of human occupation. Your work will directly contribute to this understanding and will help provide new evidence as part of this long-term research.

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All the digs featured on Ancient Odysseys are non-profits and rely upon visitors and donations to continue their important scientific work. In particular, Mercian Archaeological Services solicit donations to enable people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend Archaeological Training Field Schools through sponsored bursaries.Please consider donating if you would like to support this organization's mission. All donations are tax deductible.

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About the Sherwood Forest Archaeological Training Excavation

Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

5-Day Field School Only Dates: ​

  • July 21-25

  • July 28-Aug 1 

  • Aug 4-8

  • Aug 11-15

10-Day Field School + Excavation Dates (weekends are on your own)

  • Aug 4-15 (extra £1099 per person for 10 days)

  • Aug 11-22 (extra £1099 per person for 10 days)

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In the heart of Sherwood Forest lies King John’s Palace, a former royal hunting lodge. It was built for and visited by eight Kings of England from the mid-12th to late-14th century, including Richard the Lionheart and King John. These medieval kings developed an extensive palatial complex at the site where they hosted foreign dignitaries and royalty.

The area around the palace had a 1457 acre deer park, artificial lake, areas of ornamental deer lawns, 70 acres of rabbit warrens, and much more. This was built around the palace to create an idealised forest landscape for the Kings and their guests to enjoy.

 

King John’s Palace is situated in the village of Kings Clipstone, three miles southwest of the Major Oak, as thousand-year-old oak tree, renowned as the legendary hideaway of Robin Hood. Today, this tree is the centrepiece of the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve which is home to nearly 1,000 ancient oak trees. The location is visited by thousands of visitors each year who come in search of the legends of Robin Hood.

 

This Sherwood Forest Archaeological Training Excavation gives you the chance to take part in an archaeological excavation at this long-forgotten site of King John’s Palace. This Archaeological Training introduces you to the wide and varied a subject of archaeology, the science of excavation, and the wider subject of the archaeological discipline.

 

At its core, this is a training field school where you will learn about all aspects of archaeological excavation and receive hands on training from archaeological professionals in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

 

In addition to excavating and digging, you’ll also be learning about the fundamentals of archaeology including how archaeological sites form and how they are excavated. Your education will be rounded out with a series of lectures about archaeology, the legends of Robin Hood, and the history of ceramics.

 

As featured in Digging Up Britain’s Past: The Real Robin Hood​​​

What to Expect on the Sherwood Forest Archaeological Training Excavation

King John's Palace-join an archaeology dig here

This field school on archaeological excavation methods through a mixture of classroom sessions and hands-on training. This course is suitable for all levels from beginner to experienced digger. Everyone is welcome, no previous knowledge or experience is required.

  • 9:30am each day starts at King John’s Palace

  • 1:00pm lunch break

  • 5:00pm finish each day

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You will be trained in the techniques of excavation, including:

  • Stratigraphic Excavation

  • Artefact Recovery

  • Finds Processing

  • Pottery identification

  • The use of hand tools, trowels, spades and pick axes

  • Site Formation Processes

  • Context Sheet Recording

  • Site Photography

  • Site Grid and Trench

  • Archaeological Drawing

  • Recording & Storage

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Day one includes:

  • Welcome and introduction

  • Paperwork, signing in risk assessment and inductions.

  • Site tour, and archaeological background

  • Site formation and introduction to excavation methods presentation

  • Laying out a trench presentation followed by practical session

 

Tuesday will conclude on site at approximately 3:00pm to enable a guided tour of the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve and its archaeology. Andy Gaunt, Mercian Director and Landscape Archaeologist will provide a guided walk which will include learning about the history of Sherwood Forest and the legends of Robin Hood, while walking through the ancient oak trees of the Forest, and ending with a visit to the Major Oak. The tour will finish at approximately 8:00pm.

 

As part of the Sherwood Forest field school, attendees will have the opportunity to learn all about Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood, outlaws, foresters, the landscape of Sherwood Forest in medieval times, forest law, courts, offences and judiciary, the Palace at Clipstone, monasteries, chapels and hermitages, hunting parks, Nottingham Castle, Sheriffs and much more about life in Medieval Sherwood Forest. 

 

The nature of  excavation requires participants to be physically independent, with the ability to carry a backpack with a water bottle, and sit, kneel, crouch, and lay on the ground for extended periods of time in hot outdoor conditions. The activity will also include standing and walking for extended periods of time in primitive outdoor conditions. There are toilets on-site.

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Click here for more details on what to expect on a archaeology dig. 

What's Included in the Cost + What to Bring

nottingham is the site of an archaeology dig for citizen scientists

All accommodations including breakfast and a packed lunch and beverages are included in the cost. In addition, all training, tools and equipment are included. 

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Transportation to and from the field area is not included, but can be arranged with the site or be accessed via taxi each day. 

 

Accommodations provided: The Dukeries Lodge in Edwinstowe 

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Due to the variable English weather, please come prepared for heat, rain and wind and bring:

  • Sensible outdoor clothing for hot, wet or windy weather

  • Sturdy boots (steel toe caps preferred but walking boots ok)

  • Waterproof jacket

  • Waterproof trousers (optional)

  • Sun screen/ lotion

  • Insect repellent

  • Sun hat and rain hat

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An interview with Andy Gaunt | Archaeological Director | Company Director Mercian Archaeological Services

andy gaunt-lead archaeologist at Sherwood Forest
  1. What makes Sherwood Forest significant?
    King John's Palace, known as the Kings Houses, in medieval times, was very important, as it served as the royal hunting palace in the heart of Sherwood Forest. The Forest was effectively a huge game reserve, and the site functioned as the residence from which medieval kings could hunt, feast, and hold important functions. If Robin Hood is associated with the surrounding landscape, then studying this site gives us the chance to learn about the lives of the kings who stayed here, and a direct window into the history of medieval Sherwood Forest.

  2. What has been most surprising about your discoveries at this location?​
    Probably the single most unexpected thing about King John's Palace, is how large the site was in medieval times. Previously historians and archaeologists had focused on the standing ruin, and despite the extensive lists of buildings revealed by the surviving documents, concluded that the site was a small hunting lodge enclosed within a relatively small precinct. Excavations and geophysical surveys have helped show that the site may have started relatively modest in size in the later 12th century, but by the late 13th century into the 14th century, the site had expanded to cover an area of 7 acres or more

  3. What are your current research objectives at King John's Palace? 
    Our current research is focused on understanding the boundaries of the site to further expand our understanding of the size, importance, and use of the site through its history. We are excavating in a trench to search for occupation in a specific area where the longest period of occupation has been found, stretching from the 5th to 18th centuries. This is revealing not only what life in the area of the palace was like when the Kings were residing here, but also a window into the origins of the site, and what happened after the decline of the palace.

  4. What was most important or rewarding find at this site?​
    For me personally the most rewarding find relating to the site has actually been deciphering and understanding the surrounding landscape which was developed through the medieval period to be a Romantic hunting landscape. 

    When it comes to artefacts, a number of medieval items including pottery adorned with hunting motifs, and the miniature ceramic head of a knight, broken from the neck of a decorated medieval jug, are beautiful examples that tell us about life at the site during its royal heyday, at exactly the time that the Robin Hood legends were taking shape and spreading across England. From the more distant past a Bronze Age knife, knapped into shape about 3000 years ago out of the remains of an even older Neolithic polished axe. More recently we have uncovered Anglo-saxon era pottery from the area we are currently excavating. These help to show that occupation here has taken place over thousands of years.​

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Includes:

  • All tools for archaeological excavation are provided, along with dedicated on-site training, instruction, and supervision.

  • The cost of the dig includes funds to support the archaeological fieldwork and research

  • 6 nights accommodation at The Dukeries

  • Presentations, private tours and excavation days with the researchers & site permit holders.

  • Breakfasts and packed lunches

  • Activities as indicated in the itinerary.​

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Excludes:​

  • International airfare

  • Transportation to and from Edwinstowe

  • Transportation to and from the site daily

  • Dinners

  • Personal, travel and medical insurance (mandatory proof needed)

  • Alcoholic beverages

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Fees and Cancellations: 

  • An $800 non-refundable deposit will be invoiced and charged. The balance will be invoiced 90 days prior to arrival. 

  • Cancellations: Once a booking is confirmed and payment is made, a 50% cancellation fee will be charged if cancelled between 60-31 days before the trip. Cancellations under 30 days before the trip are 100% non-refundable. 

  • If a credit card is used, fees will be charged of up to 5%. If payment is made via SWIFT transfer, the payer is responsible for all banking transaction fees. 

Robin Hood & Sherwood Forest Dig

5 days/7 nights

From:

GBP £1,099

Pricing is per person based on double occupancy. Single occupancy is £1599. Travel logistics managed by Pathfinders

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  • Rates remain subject to change until such time that full and final payment has been received and confirmed. Rates can change based on availability, exchange rates and changes implemented by service providers.​

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