Charter of the Forest

The Charter of the Forest of 1217 (Latin: Carta de Foresta or Charta Forestæ) is a charter that re-established for free men rights of access 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 the Magna Carta. The charter redressed some applications of the Anglo-Norman Forest Law that had been extended and abused by King William Rufus.