Changes

==History of the term==

==History of the term==

The word 'forest' did not used to mean 'a place of trees', however. 'Forest' was a Norman French word, brought to England after 1066.  It had the meaning of 'a place of deer (for hunting)'.  The Normans designated large areas as 'forest', so that the king and his nobles could hunt there. 'Forest Law' applied, with severe penalties for those 'Saxons' caught killing, or attempting to kill, 'beasts of the chase' (deer, wild boar, etc.).  An English forest did not have to be tree-covered: some were mainly wooded forests, like The New Forest, others were mainly moorland, like The Forest of Bowland.  [[Sherwood Forest]] at the time the [[Robin Hood]] legend is set was in fact mainly heathland (heather etc.) and had relatively few, small woods.

The word 'forest' did not used to mean 'a place of trees', however. 'Forest' was a Norman French word, brought to England after 1066.  It had the meaning of 'a place of deer (for hunting)'.  The Normans designated large areas as 'forest', so that the king and his nobles could hunt there. 'Forest Law' applied, with severe penalties for those 'Saxons' caught killing, or attempting to kill, 'beasts of the chase' (deer, wild boar, etc.).  An English forest did not have to be tree-covered: some were mainly wooded forests, like The New Forest, others were mainly moorland, like The Forest of Bowland.  [[Sherwood Forest]] at the time the [[Robin Hood]] legend is set was in fact mainly heathland (heather etc.) and had relatively few, small woods.

== External links ==

== External links ==