On This Day In History: Charter Of The Forest Was First Issued On London – On Nov 6, 1217

AncientPages.com - On November 6, 1217, the Charter of the Forest was first issued at St Paul's Cathedral, London, as a complementary charter to the Magna Carta from which it had evolved. The document was later reissued in 1225.

Charter of the Forest, 1225 reissue, held by the British Library - Public Domain

The Charter of the Forest of 1217 (Latin: Carta de Foresta) re-established free men's rights of access to the royal forest that William the Conqueror and his heirs eroded.

Many of its provisions were in force for centuries afterward.

It was originally sealed in England by the young King Henry III, acting under the regency of William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke. It was, in many ways, a companion document to the Magna Carta.

2017 marks the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest. Celebrations will take place in several cities around the world, most notably at the Lincoln Cathedral north of London, where one of the few surviving original copies of the Charter makes its home alongside the Magna Carta.

The Charter of the Forest is widely considered one of the first laws in the world to regulate the use of natural resources. For the first time, the ordinary person received privileges and protections regarding the use of the forests in England.

The document established a fundamental right to use public lands and resources. It was crucial, especially in times of controversy over the use of public lands.

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