The Sheriff of Nottingham

The Nottingham divide

This line running through Nottingham's Old Market Square is a subtle historical marker. It was installed during the square's 2006 redesign, the metal drainage channel shows exactly where a medieval wall stood for nearly 700 years.

The older established Anglo-Saxon community lived on one side (the northern, commercial part of the market) while the French Normans lived on the other (the southern/western side). The wall was intended to keep the peace and manage the administrative and legal boundaries between the two sides. Different customs, practices and laws applied to each part.

The 1449 Royal Charter granted by King Henry VI elevated Nottingham to a "county in itself," making it judicially and administratively independent from the Shire of Nottingham. The Sheriff of Nottingham no longer had jurisdiction or responsibility in and for the town. The charter replaced the previous town bailiffs with not just one, but two town Sheriffs, one to represent and act within the historic Anglo-Saxon part of the town and the other the Norman part.

A day in the life of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The record below from the reign of King Edward I in 1298 shows a number of closed (sealed) instructions to the Sheriff of Nottingham and others concerning supplies of venison. It tells the Sheriff to “cause” all the venison that the king recently ordered to be taken from the royal forests of Sherwood and High Peak that the steward of Sherwood Forest will deliver to him to be taken to York without delay (there was no frozen or refrigerated meat back then) and delivered to the kings larder.

Nickolas de Pecco the Keeper of the Forest of the Peak was similarly ordered to deliver his share of venison to Nottingham for the Sheriff to deliver onwards to York.

Presumably the King was at York and he and his court needed feeding. We are indebted to David Pilling - Author for all his research in these records

Pay your Cheminage if you want to take your wagon or a cart through Sherwood Forest.

It is now fence month - a time when the mother deer, hinds or does, need peace and quite to have their fawn. Cheminage was a toll or tax on carts and wagons using roads through the Forest to prevent or minimise disturbance to the king’s deer.

The fee was only up be taken of those who came as merchants from outside the Forest. Those who carried on their backs, brushwood, bark, or charcoal were to pay No Cheminage.

In some places all passage for carts through the Forest was banned for the period of the fence month.

Cheminage had been a very lucrative earner for the forest authorities and had often been imposed all year round and in areas well away from the deer herds. It had been a source of much complaint. Hence reform was included in the Charter of the Forest.

article 14 of the Charter of the Forest,1225

(14) No forester from henceforth, which is not forester in fee, paying to us farm for his bailiwick, shall take any chimmage or toll within bailiwick; but a forester in fee, paying us farm for his bailiwick, shall take chimmage; that is to say, for carriage by cart the half-year 2 pence, and for another half-year 2 pence, for an horse that beareth loads, every half-year, an half-penny, and by another half-year half a penny; and but of those only that come as merchants through his bailiwick by licence to buy bushes, timber, bark, coal and to sell it again at their pleasure; but for none other carriage by cart chimmage shall be taken; nor chimmage shall not be taken, but in such places only where it used to be. Those which bear upon their backs brushment, bark, or coal to sell, though it be their living, shall pay no chimmage to our foresters, except they take it within our demesne woods.

You commoners stay out!

It’s the start of fence so keep out of the Forest. Fence month was a historical closed season in medieval Royal Forests, including our own Sherwood Forest, lasting for roughly a month from June 9.
During this time under forest law, commoners peasants and free men and especially their grazing animals were banned from the woods to give pregnant deer peace and quiet to birth and raise their fawns. It’s all about protecting the King’s deer.

It’s a Moot point !

What’s it mean?? Moot is Something Open to Debate: An unsettled issue or a question that is arguable. The word "moot" dates back to Old English. It originally referred to a meeting or assembly of people to discuss local affairs. A few places in England even have a Moot Hall.
Planning is already underway for Sherwood Forest Day 20th February 2027 and it starts with our Moot.

That’s why we have a Sherwood Forest Moot. The Moot is Saturday 27th June 9.30 - 12.30. From all across historic Sherwood Forest from the Trent to the Meden.

Is your community going to be represented at the Sherwood Forest MOOT ??

Planning for Sherwood Forest Day 2027 starts with a Moot!



See the link below for details

Sherwood Moot 2026 Planning event for Sherwood Forest Day 2027

Punch up at Perlethorpe 1267

In 1267 Roger Lestrange Royal Captain
and Thomas Corbet were ordered here to Nottinghamshire to deal with a band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest. The outlaws were led by one Walter Devyas, a notorious robber.

Perhaps they were a little overconfident. When battle was joined at Thorpe Peverel (now Perlethorpe) the royal forces took a terrible beating and lost all their horses and kit.

How do we get from Thorpe Peverel to Perlethorpe??

Thorpe is from Old Norse thorp/þrop meaning "village", a place-name element very common here in Nottinghamshire. We have Gleadthorpe and Bilsthorpe close by. How do we get the Perle? It may have been a deviation from Peverelthorpe as William Peverel was a very powerful landowner across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the area since the conquest. Nearby is Thoresby Hall, the former home of the Earl Manvers and the village of Perlethorpe remains entirely owned by the Thoresby Estate.

A massive thank you to David Pilling - Author who is turning up this information all credit to him and his research.

A real pleasure to meet Cllr Audrey Dinnall – Sheriff of Nottingham 2026/7 this week to discuss plans for Sherwood Forest Day.

Congratulations Councillor Audrey Dinnall and looking forward to working with the new city Sheriff on 2027

Administration and the Sheriff as odd job man. Delivery man for the king.

This extract from the Calendar of Close Rolls 1298 records an instruction to the sheriff of Nottingham to have all the venison that the King had recently ordered to be taken in “the forests of Shyrewode and the Peak” to be taken to York for the King’s larder.

The calendar of Close Rolls contains a great mine of detailed information from our medieval past. Our thanks to David Pilling - Author for finding this as part of his extensive and excellent research.