Spirit of Wartime Sherwood
Explore the Second World War History of Sherwood Forest and Newark.
This project aims to uncover and share the impact of the Second World War on the Sherwood Forest area, its landscape and communities. There are several different strands to the project, all of which have opportunities for local people to get involved!
Join us at our events!
- Set in the beautiful grounds of Thoresby Park be taken back to WW2.
- Experience life in military camps, from the view of both Allied and Axis.
- See how life on the Homefront was and vehicles that would have graced our roads.
- Treat yourself to something Vintage from the traders in the Vintage Village.
- As if this wasn’t enough, take a seat and enjoy listening to songs from the 40s sung by the wonderful entertainers.
- Bring a picnic and enjoy a day out with family, friends or by yourself and make new friends
Education Resources
Our research has been used to produce educational resources, in partnership with Miner 2 Major. You can find super useful posters, videos, and much more here. These resources consider;
- How did the First and Second World Wars impact the Century of Change and the Sherwood Forest area?
- What is the evidence of the impact of the First and Second World Wars on Sherwood Forest and surrounding villages?
- How has War changed the communities in and around Sherwood Forest.
Oral History
Watch this Countryfile episode of the hidden histories of Sherwood Forest, which featured our project’s Oral History strand.
Find out the role Sherwood Forest played as a training ground in the First World War, and meet 94-year-old Kevin Topham, who shares the story of how the discovery of black gold in the forest helped to shape victory during WWII. Discover why Sherwood Forest has a missing generation of oaks and how premature ageing is helping to fill the gap.
Meet Susie,
Susie is our Community Engagement & Education Officer, and runs our Spirit of Wartime Sherwood Project. Through our project, she is helping local heritage and community groups to research and share World War Two stories.
Read her Spirit of Wartime Sherwood blogs here, as well as blogs written by Nottingham University students.