Wychwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the brewery see Wychwood Brewery
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.
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'. There is also speculation that the Ox- in Oxford is also derived from Hwicce.
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'.
