Summer solstice evening walk & gathering at Gibbets Close Hill nature reserve

Join the Wychwood Forest Trust team on a special guided walk around Gibbets Close Hill nature reserve at the summer solstice.

In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on 20th or 21st June, when the sun is at its highest position in the sky and furthest from the equator, bringing the most hours of daylight. The longest day is also known as 'midsummer', and evidence suggests it has been a significant day in our calendar for millennia, marked with fire and festivity since the Neolithic period. 

It is easy enough to appreciate why the summer solstice was a celebration, even if we don't know exactly how ancient peoples celebrated. Understanding the cycle of nature, the changing of the seasons, the rising and the setting of the sun, was crucial to survival - for the care of their land, their crops and their animals. 

Come and join us at the solstice as we take a walk around Gibbets Close Hill nature reserve, our newest acquisition and the site of major rewilding and research projects.  At the moment Gibbets is not freely open to the public, so this is your chance to see it early in its rewilding journey and learn about the cutting-edge ecological research being done here to combat biodiversity loss. You will also be able to see the initial phase of a major wetland creation project in progress. 

Take in the far-reaching views from the top of the hill and the magnificent veteran oak trees in the hedgerows. Appreciate the variety of wildlife that call this special place their home. Pause for a while in the stillness of the evening and listen to the birdsong, keeping your eyes peeled for the resident barn owls, and try your hand at tracking the movements of bats at dusk, with one of our bat detectors. 

And afterwards as the sun goes down and the light fades, sit for a while around the campfire and enjoy a cuppa and a chat at this magical time of the year.

HOW TO FIND US:

Approaching via the A40 from the Oxford direction: after joining the B4022 Oxford Hill into Witney, the entrance to Gibbets Close Hill nature reserve is on your right through a five bar gate, opposite the signposted entrance to Windrush cemetery on the left (about 100m before the traffic lights at the crossroads). Approaching in the opposite direction from Witney, the site is then on the left after the Oxford Hill crossroads.

The entrance to the site will be marked with a WFT flag and you will be met in the farmyard.

CANCELLATION POLICY AND ACCESSIBILITY:

If you cancel your place less than 48 hours before the event or course we cannot offer a refund. If we have to cancel an event or course that you have booked we will offer a full refund.

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We aim to make our events and course as inclusive as possible but some outdoor spaces can present access difficulties. If you have any special requirements, please contact info@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk before booking.

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As a registered charity, we are a non-profit making organisation.  All the proceeds from our events go to restoring nature in the Wychwood Forest area.