Charter of the Forest
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | Carta de Foresta |
|---|---|
| Citation | 25 Edw. 1 |
| Territorial extent | |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 1297 |
| Repealed | 1 July 1971 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act 1971 |
| Relates to | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the A Statute Concerning Tallage (1297) as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Charter of the Forest of 1217 re-established rights of access for free men to the royal forest that had been eroded by King William the Conqueror and his heirs. Many of its provisions were in force for centuries afterwards. It was originally sealed in England by the young King Henry III, acting under the regency of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
It was in many ways a companion document to Magna Carta. The charter redressed some applications of the Anglo-Norman Forest Law that had been extended and abused by King William Rufus.