Forest Recreation Ground
| Forest Recreation Ground | |
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A view across the ground from Mansfield Road in 2005
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 Location within Nottingham
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| Location | Nottingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°57′54″N 1°09′36″W / 52.965°N 1.16°WCoordinates: 52°57′54″N 1°09′36″W / 52.965°N 1.16°W |
| Area | 80 acres (0.324 km2) |
| Created | 1845 |
| Operated by | Nottingham City Council |
| Status | Open year round |
| Website | www |
The Forest Recreation Ground is an open space and recreation ground in Nottingham, England, approximately one mile north of the city centre. This urban space is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Forest Fields to the north, Mapperley Park to the east, Arboretum to the south and Hyson Green to the west. It is best known as the site of the city's famous annual Goose Fair.
The name "Forest" derives comes from medieval times when the land that is now a recreation ground was part of the Sherwood Forest that once extended from the city of Nottingham to the north of Nottinghamshire. The site was the southernmost part of Sherwood Forest and was part of the open area known formerly as "The Lings" which, largely covered by gorse and scrub, extended into the parishes of Lenton, Radford and Basford.
The site of the Forest was one of the original areas to be protected in perpetuity by the 1845 Nottingham Inclosure Act, which set aside some 80 acres (32 ha) of Sherwood Forest for public recreational use. In commemoration, the Mayor of Nottingham planted the "Inclosure Oak" which can still be seen at the Mansfield Road entrance to the Forest. Joseph Paxton, a leading gardener and architect of the nineteenth century, was responsible for the criss-cross formation of walkways.
For over 300 years the Forest has been home to sport, including horse racing, cricket and football. It was home to Nottingham Racecourse by 1773, and it remained there until it moved to its current location at Colwick, south east of Nottingham, at the end of the 19th century. Nottingham Forest Football Club first played their games on the Forest after their formation in 1865, hence the club's name.
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