Wychwood

The Wychwood, or Wychwood Forest, is an area now covering a small part of rural Oxfordshire. In times long past, the forest covered a much larger area, but has since been felled in favour of farm land, villages and towns.

Some of the land that was part of Wychwood Forest and that was cleared for agricultural use was purchased by a UK registered charity, the Woodland Trust, and re-planted with native English deciduous trees creating Shillbrook Wood, a convert|9|acre|m2|sing=on site near Bampton, and Eynsham Wood, a convert|13.37|acre|m2|sing=on site near Eynsham.cite web | title = Shillbrook Wood | publisher = "The Woodland Trust Directory of Woods" | url = http://www.wt-woods.org.uk/ShillbrookWood | accessdate = 2007-10-02] cite web | title = Eynsham Wood | publisher = "The Woodland Trust Directory of Woods" | url = http://www.wt-woods.org.uk/EynshamWood | accessdate = 2007-10-02]

It is believed that Wych- is derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) word, 'Hwicce'. The Hwicce were the Germanic people living in the area from some time in the 6th century until the assimilation of the Old English peoples into the larger 'Middle English society'.Fact|date=July 2007

Recent years have seen a particularly strong resurgence in Wychwood culture. A number of forest fayres take place around the Wychwood area, promoting pre-industrial revolution crafts and employments. The Oxford University Historical Re-Enactment Society, also known as the Wychwood Warriors, is a reenactment group that recreates aspects of Saxon life in Wychwood during the Dark Ages.

The Wychwood has also given its name to a set of three villages in Oxfordshire, Milton-under-Wychwood, Shipton-under-Wychwood and Ascott-under-Wychwood. The villages together are known by locals as 'The Wychwoods'.

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References

External links

* [http://www.wychwood.co.uk Wychwood Brewery]
* [http://www.wychwoodstudios.com/Flashsite.php Wychwood artists]
* [http://www.wychwood.org Shipton-under-Wychwood Community Website]
* [http://www.wychwoodproject.org The Wychwood Project] - A promoter of Wychwood culture
* [http://www.wychwoodfestival.com The Wychwood Festival]
* [http://www.ascott-under-wychwood.org.uk Ascott-under-Wychwood Community Website]
* [http://www.thewychwood.co.uk The Wychwood Magazine Online]
* [http://users.ox.ac.uk/~wychwood The Wychwood Warriors]
* [http://wychwood.wikidot.com/start The Wychwood Warriors]
* [http://www.wychwoodfestival.com]