The RSPB opened its new visitors centre at Edwinstowe in
Sherwood Forest earlier this year. This seems like a great move to me on a
number of counts. Firstly, Sherwood itself has a remarkable concentration of
old oak trees - an ancient ecosystem well worthy of enhanced protection. For birders
there are resident marsh tits, woodlarks and lesser-spotted woodpeckers and summer
woodland species including common redstart and spotted flycatcher, in addition
to the range of warblers.
Making the most of the Robin Hood story has never seemed to
stretch the imagination of local government in Nottinghamshire, in spite of the
obvious potential for tourist development. Robin Hood still lures a steady flow
of inquisitive visitors from all over the world to see the most famous forest
in the world, first hand. They must have sometimes gone away wondering why they
had bothered, given the lack of a spark devoted to making the most of the
legend, so far.
Combining the protection of birds with the popularity of the
Robin Hood theme is quite a task for the RSPB. They have made an excellent
start with the new facilities. How they manage the numbers that can be expected
in the summer of 2019 and thereafter is going to present much food for thought,
however. The development of co-operative relationships with local residents and
businesses will be significant for the long-term success of the project.
Chris has recently volunteered to put in some time there and
is finding out which of the possible activities suit her best. I went up with
her on a recent foray and was intrigued to hear about a “new” railway close to
home that I had never heard of before.
During World War Two the Royal Army Ordnance operated an
ammunition storage depot on behalf of the US Army in Sherwood Forest. There is
no trace today of the narrow-gauge railway that was used to carry the munitions
around the site but various shallow pits are identifiable where the dumps were
previously located. After the war, unused ammunition was stockpiled until it
was assigned elsewhere or disposed of. The depot was finally closed down in
1954.
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