The Royal Forest of Whittlewood was a medieval hunting forest and contains many remnants of the area's ancient woodlands. Today the forest consists of a core of ancient woodlands and stone built villages to the west of Silverstone, and scattered remants across to Milton Keynes.
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Medieval Northamptonshire was dominated by the king’s forests. At their height, during the late 12th and 13th centuries, the royal forests of Rockingham, Salcey and Whittlewood extended in an unbroken band from the River Welland in the north to the Great Ouse in the south, encompassing about half of the total area of Northamptonshire. This does not mean that about half of the county was covered by woodland, but that this was the area subject to forest law. Thus, not only heaths, parks and woods, but also many of Northamptonshire’s towns and villages, together with their fields of arable and pasture, fell within the jurisdiction of the king’s forest officials. This was a substantial tract of countryside. Across England as a whole during this period, no more than a third of the country’s land area lay within the boundaries of the royal forest. Northamptonshire was, therefore, affected more than most counties by the imposition of forest law.
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Bucknell is a delightful ancient woodland. A pleasant mix of semi-natural broadleaf woodland and conifer plantations. A small car park, picnic area and grassy play area is located at the south eastern edge of the wood.
The many habitats the Ancient Woodland of Whittlewood Forest provide support a vast amount of wildlife. During your visit you may see: brown hare, weasel, roe deer, woodcock, raven, nightingale, snakes, lizards, frogs, newts and toads.