Sherwood Forest is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Michelle Welsh, of the Labour Party. The constituency's name is shared with Sherwood Forest, which is in the area.
The constituency was formerly known as Sherwood. It was renamed as a result of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, with minor boundary changes. It was first contested under the new name at the 2024 general election.
Constituency profile
Sherwood Forest is a constituency in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, covering parts of the Newark and Sherwood, Gedling and Ashfield districts. Its largest settlement is the town of Hucknall, which has a population of around 38,000. Other settlements include the town of New Ollerton and the villages of Calverton, Ravenshead, Blidworth, Rainworth, Farnsfield, Bilsthorpe, Clipstone and Edwinstowe. The constituency is named after the ancient Sherwood Forest, the remnants of which are located here.
This is a mostly rural constituency with most residents living in Hucknall or in large villages. Many of these settlements have a history of coal mining, especially Hucknall and its surroundings which hosted several mines. Hucknall today largely serves as a commuter town for Nottingham; it is located around north of Nottingham city centre. There is some deprivation in Hucknall and the former mining settlements of Blidworth and New Ollerton. The rural areas are wealthier, especially Ravenshead which is highly-affluent and contains many large, detached houses. House prices across the constituency are generally similar to the rest of the East Midlands but lower than the UK average.
Sherwood Forest has a below-average proportion of young adults and an above-average retired population. Residents have average rates of income, high levels of homeownership, and the child poverty rate is in line with the rest of the UK. They generally have below-average levels of education and a high proportion work in the health, accommodation and construction sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is low. White people made up 95% of the population at the 2021 census.
At the local district council level, the former mining villages are mostly represented by the Labour Party, the wealthier rural villages by Conservatives and Hucknall by localists. At the county council, which held elections more recently (in 2025), most of the constituency elected Reform UK councillors. Voters in Sherwood Forest strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 63% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%.
Boundaries Historic (Sherwood) 1983–1997: The District of Newark wards of Bilsthorpe, Blidworth, Boughton, Clipstone, Dover Beck, Edwinstowe, Farnsfield, Fishpool, Lowdham, Ollerton North, Ollerton South, Rainworth, and Rufford, the District of Ashfield wards of Hucknall Central, Hucknall East, Hucknall North, and Hucknall West, and the Borough of Gedling wards of Bestwood St Albans (Bestwood Village only), Calverton, Lambley, Newstead, and Woodborough.
1997–2010: The District of Newark and Sherwood wards of Bilsthorpe, Blidworth, Boughton, Clipstone, Dover Beck, Edwinstowe, Farnsfield, Lowdham, Ollerton North, Ollerton South, Rainworth, and Rufford, the District of Ashfield wards of Hucknall Central, Hucknall East, Hucknall North, and Hucknall West, and the Borough of Gedling wards of Bestwood Park, Calverton, Lambley, Newstead, Ravenshead, and Woodborough.
2010–2024 The District of Newark and Sherwood wards of Bilsthorpe, Blidworth, Boughton, Clipstone, Edwinstowe, Farnsfield, Ollerton, and Rainworth, the District of Ashfield wards of Hucknall Central, Hucknall East, Hucknall North, and Hucknall West, and the Borough of Gedling wards of Bestwood Village, Calverton, Lambley, Newstead, Ravenshead, and Woodborough.
Current (Sherwood Forest) Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The District of Ashfield wards of: Hucknall Central; Hucknall North; Hucknall South; Hucknall West.
The Borough of Gedling wards of: Calverton; Newstead Abbey.
The District of Newark and Sherwood wards of: Bilsthorpe; Boughton; Dover Beck; Edwinstowe & Clipstone; Farnsfield; Lowdham; Ollerton; Rainworth North & Rufford; Rainworth South & Blidworth.
The constituency saw minor boundary changes, primarily due to the redrawing of local authority ward boundaries.
The constituency is in central Nottinghamshire, covering parts of three local government authorities: Hucknall in the Ashfield district, parts of the Gedling borough, and the western part of the Newark and Sherwood district, the largest geographical area of the seat.
History On the constituency's creation in 1983, Andy Stewart gained the seat for the Conservatives in their landslide victory that year with a small majority of 658. The Nottinghamshire miners drifted further from Labour during the 1984 strike and Stewart was re-elected with an increased majority in 1987. However, in 1992 the seat was gained for Labour by Paddy Tipping, who held it until he retired in 2010, when the seat was regained for the Conservatives by Mark Spencer, by a majority of 214. In 2015, Spencer's lead over the second placed candidate increased to 4,647 votes. This further increased in 2017 and another big swing to the Conservatives in 2019 saw Spencer's majority increase to 16,186, the first time a Conservative had a five-figure majority in the seat.
Members of Parliament
Newark, Carlton and Ashfield prior to 1983
ElectionMemberParty 1983 Andy Stewart Conservative 1992 Paddy Tipping Labour 2010 Sir Mark Spencer Conservative 2024 Michelle Welsh Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Lee Waters was selected to stand by the Ashfield Independents.
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
See also Parliamentary constituencies in Nottinghamshire
Notes
References
External links Sherwood UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Sherwood UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Sherwood Forest UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK