Importance of The Nottingham Shooting Match

The Sheriff of Nottingham holds a shooting match to lure Robin Hood into his grasp. It is held on a green meadow, and one side has wooden benches placed with the first row on the ground, and subsequent rows higher and higher. These are for knights and their ladies, squires and dames, and rich burgers, but the poor folk are to sit upon the ground behind logs on the other side of the field. At one end of the meadow is a target of flower garlands, near which sits a raised seat covered with ribbons, scarves, and garlands of flowers reserved for the Sheriff and his dame.

On the green are tents reserved for the archers so they may talk of their shots and prepare their bows and arrows for the next rounds. Also near these are the marks for which the contest is held.