I could think of 3 reasons this could happen.

1) The soil is too rich. Too much fertilizer and/or compost would cause this.

2) This soil is too compact and the roots had a hard time getting through it. I doubt this happened to you since it's a raised bed.

3) Transplanted? Were these transplanted from another location? That can cause the roots to fork.

When you say 'compost', if that included any animal manure or manure of any description, that would cause this trouble.

Parsnips and carrots need a very fine sandy tilth... They do not need a rich soil and, as Bathgate and Bamboo have already said this can cause problems. These particular root veg. will also fork if there are even small stones in the ground. So lean, sandy tilth with no stones at all if you want decent carrots and parsnips! Watch out for root fly!

Snap ! I had some very almost identical. Next year I.m going to put soil through a fine sieve, add sharp sand and try again.

Thanks for all your answers, I will take on board for next year. This is my first year growing veg so lots to learn.

We all have to learn Doreen and it is part of the fun!

They look a little strange, but they're still delicious and perfectly fine to eat.