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Have you seen the elusive Black Hairstreak?

Have you seen the elusive Black Hairstreak?

Have you seen the elusive Black Hairstreak?

Did you know, one of the UK's most elusive butterflies lives in the historic Wychwood area? At rest and from a distance little more than...

We've changed our name!

We've changed our name!

We've changed our name!

Those of you with long memories will know we have had various guises since our foundation by Alan Spicer and Charles Keighley in the...

It's out: Wychwood Magazine Summer 2021!

It's out: Wychwood Magazine Summer 2021!

It's out: Wychwood Magazine Summer 2021!

Don't miss this summer's Wychwood Magazine, featuring: an interview with nature writer Maeve Bruce on the Wychwood, writing, and more; an...

Planting trees with local schools for National Tree Week

Planting trees with local schools for National Tree Week

Planting trees with local schools for National Tree Week

To celebrate this year's National Tree Week (28th November to 6th December), we decided to partner with local schools to deliver...

Local artists would like to know your favourite Wychwood places

Local artists would like to know your favourite Wychwood places

Local artists would like to know your favourite Wychwood places

Do you have a favourite place, soundscape, view, or path in the Wychwood area? We would love to know what it is, and what makes it...

Once more unto the Breach: hedge-laying at Breach Community Wood

Once more unto the Breach: hedge-laying at Breach Community Wood

Once more unto the Breach: hedge-laying at Breach Community Wood

To protect nesting birds, the hedgelaying season runs from October to March. In 2020 our hedgelaying group finished their work at...

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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2025-28

To donate £5 to the Wychwood Forest Trust

text FOREST to 70580

May is National Walking Month, and now that the weather is brighter, there's no excuse not to get out and about!

If you live in Oxfordshire, or are planning to visit our beautiful county any time this month, why not try walking the Wychwood Way in May, or over the summer?

The Wychwood Way is a 59 km / 37 mile circular trail following waymarked rights of way around the heart of the ancient Royal Forest of Wychwood in Oxfordshire.

The trail is a celebration of 1000 years in the life of this very special area and was designed to highlight some of the most interesting historic landscape patterns and features, habitats and traditional forms of management within the former forest area.

Our lovely guidebook for the route takes the reader on a journey through time, from the evidence of the very earliest, pre-historic settlers through to the present day. It has detailed walking directions for the whole of the Wychwood Way, supported by maps and SP map references, as well as 10 shorter circular walks linked to the Wychwood Way.

https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/shop

May is National Walking Month, and now that the weather is brighter, there's no excuse not to get out and about!

If you live in Oxfordshire, or are planning to visit our beautiful county any time this month, why not try walking the Wychwood Way in May, or over the summer?

The Wychwood Way is a 59 km / 37 mile circular trail following waymarked rights of way around the heart of the ancient Royal Forest of Wychwood in Oxfordshire.

The trail is a celebration of 1000 years in the life of this very special area and was designed to highlight some of the most interesting historic landscape patterns and features, habitats and traditional forms of management within the former forest area.

Our lovely guidebook for the route takes the reader on a journey through time, from the evidence of the very earliest, pre-historic settlers through to the present day. It has detailed walking directions for the whole of the Wychwood Way, supported by maps and SP map references, as well as 10 shorter circular walks linked to the Wychwood Way.

https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/shop

WFT trustee Richard Lord is on the radio!

At 10am on the first Sunday of every month, tune in to WRFM - Radio for Oxfordshire & The Cotswolds - to hear Wild Tracks with 'Rustic Rich', an eclectic mix of music with topical chat covering the countryside, environment, wildlife, gardening, local food, farming and lots more.

FM 90.2 - 107.4 and on DAB, or listen live via WRFM website https://www.wrfm.co.uk/

WFT trustee Richard Lord is on the radio!

At 10am on the first Sunday of every month, tune in to WRFM - Radio for Oxfordshire & The Cotswolds - to hear Wild Tracks with 'Rustic Rich', an eclectic mix of music with topical chat covering the countryside, environment, wildlife, gardening, local food, farming and lots more.

FM 90.2 - 107.4 and on DAB, or listen live via WRFM website https://www.wrfm.co.uk/

Join WFT's CEO, ecologist Neil Clennell, on a guided walk around Gibbets Hill, our rewilding and research reserve on the edge of Witney.

The site 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 results of our major wetland creation project.

It is a great opportunity to enjoy a walk in the heart of the Cotswolds in this very special place, home to a wide variety of wildlife including bats, barn owls and some magnificent veteran oak trees, and with spectacular views from the top of the hill.

There will also be the opportunity to ask Neil questions about habitat restoration, natural regeneration or any other aspect of the rewilding process as you go around the site.

Book your spot at https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

Join WFT's CEO, ecologist Neil Clennell, on a guided walk around Gibbets Hill, our rewilding and research reserve on the edge of Witney.

The site 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 results of our major wetland creation project.

It is a great opportunity to enjoy a walk in the heart of the Cotswolds in this very special place, home to a wide variety of wildlife including bats, barn owls and some magnificent veteran oak trees, and with spectacular views from the top of the hill.

There will also be the opportunity to ask Neil questions about habitat restoration, natural regeneration or any other aspect of the rewilding process as you go around the site.

Book your spot at https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

We had a great volunteer session at Gibbets Hill yesterday learning how to monitor the ponds during the breeding season, with Evie Granat from the Newt Conservation Partnership.

Evie and the team at NCP helped us to create the suite of 9 wetlands back in 2024. It is amazing to see just how quickly the ponds have established and how full of life they are! We found frog and toad tadpoles in large numbers, and watched the swifts and martins swooping overhead. There were also abundant animal and bird tracks around the ponds.

Wonderful to see how Gibbets is becoming a thriving oasis for wildlife right on the edge of bustling Witney.

Many thanks to Evie and all our volunteers.

We had a great volunteer session at Gibbets Hill yesterday learning how to monitor the ponds during the breeding season, with Evie Granat from the Newt Conservation Partnership.

Evie and the team at NCP helped us to create the suite of 9 wetlands back in 2024. It is amazing to see just how quickly the ponds have established and how full of life they are! We found frog and toad tadpoles in large numbers, and watched the swifts and martins swooping overhead. There were also abundant animal and bird tracks around the ponds.

Wonderful to see how Gibbets is becoming a thriving oasis for wildlife right on the edge of bustling Witney.

Many thanks to Evie and all our volunteers.

Fantastic work by the Wigwell Friends volunteers at last week's work party at Wigwell in Charlbury.

They started work on constructing a dead hedge beyond the bridge by the dams just below the line of the permissive path.

Ultimately it will act as a fence separating the low lying area near the stream from the meadow grassland of the Local Wildlife Site and will enable us to enhance this wetland habitat.

The dead hedge is mainly constructed of blackthorn, from material left over from the scrub management that prevents it obstructing footpaths or encroaching too far into the sensitive LWS.

Brilliant start everyone - and thank you!

Fantastic work by the Wigwell Friends volunteers at last week's work party at Wigwell in Charlbury.

They started work on constructing a dead hedge beyond the bridge by the dams just below the line of the permissive path.

Ultimately it will act as a fence separating the low lying area near the stream from the meadow grassland of the Local Wildlife Site and will enable us to enhance this wetland habitat.

The dead hedge is mainly constructed of blackthorn, from material left over from the scrub management that prevents it obstructing footpaths or encroaching too far into the sensitive LWS.

Brilliant start everyone - and thank you!

In case you missed it, the WFT Annual Review 2025 is available to read on our website.

https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/magazine

It has a round up of the year at Wigwell by Peter Kenrick, leader of the Wigwell Friends; an interview with Clare Musson, one of our stalwart volunteers; and a report about passive acoustic monitoring at Gibbets Hill by Dr Ella Browning.

There's an article about heritage fruit trees by Jo Howard; Chloe Edwards from Oxfordshire County Council talks about the Local Nature Recovery Strategy; and our lead hedgelayer Stuart Bridger explores the traditional rural craft of hedgelaying.

The process of undertaking a topographical survey using GIS software is discussed by Isobel Gunasekera; and our CEO Neil Clennell expands on 5 years of rewilding at Gibbets Hill.

There's something for everyone!

In case you missed it, the WFT Annual Review 2025 is available to read on our website.

https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/magazine

It has a round up of the year at Wigwell by Peter Kenrick, leader of the Wigwell Friends; an interview with Clare Musson, one of our stalwart volunteers; and a report about passive acoustic monitoring at Gibbets Hill by Dr Ella Browning.

There's an article about heritage fruit trees by Jo Howard; Chloe Edwards from Oxfordshire County Council talks about the Local Nature Recovery Strategy; and our lead hedgelayer Stuart Bridger explores the traditional rural craft of hedgelaying.

The process of undertaking a topographical survey using GIS software is discussed by Isobel Gunasekera; and our CEO Neil Clennell expands on 5 years of rewilding at Gibbets Hill.

There's something for everyone!

It’s springtime!

Can you see him…?

Spotted this morning at Thatcham. We're taking West Oxfordshire Field Club (WOFC) to search for serpents emerging from hibernation at the weekend, so did a recce and found this fella.

There are still remarkable creatures out there if you know where to look ...

It’s springtime!

Can you see him…?

Spotted this morning at Thatcham. We're taking West Oxfordshire Field Club (WOFC) to search for serpents emerging from hibernation at the weekend, so did a recce and found this fella.

There are still remarkable creatures out there if you know where to look ...

Supported by WFT & Southill Solar, a new program of bumblebee monitoring is about to start on Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury.

It leads on from the successful butterfly monitoring which is now entering its fourth year at Wigwell, and builds on the bumblebee monitoring at the Southill Solar site that was set up last year.

The Wigwell bumblebee initiative gets underway on Saturday 18th April at 9.45am at the Friends Meeting House on Market Street.

Registration plus coffee/tea and biscuits will be followed by the main talk at 10am given by Andy Benson from Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The programme continues after lunch (please bring your own sandwiches) with a hands on practical session at Wigwell, if weather allows.

You can find out more about the day and how to book your spot at https://www.charlbury.info/events/10805

Supported by WFT & Southill Solar, a new program of bumblebee monitoring is about to start on Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury.

It leads on from the successful butterfly monitoring which is now entering its fourth year at Wigwell, and builds on the bumblebee monitoring at the Southill Solar site that was set up last year.

The Wigwell bumblebee initiative gets underway on Saturday 18th April at 9.45am at the Friends Meeting House on Market Street.

Registration plus coffee/tea and biscuits will be followed by the main talk at 10am given by Andy Benson from Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The programme continues after lunch (please bring your own sandwiches) with a hands on practical session at Wigwell, if weather allows.

You can find out more about the day and how to book your spot at https://www.charlbury.info/events/10805

Our volunteer hedgelaying team have finished this tricky hedge at Hailey burial ground and they've done a cracking job, as ever!

We've already had some lovely comments from the immediate neighbours and parish councillors.

Big thanks to the team - a brilliant wrap to the season!

If you are interested in joining the volunteer hedgelayers, drop us an email at volunteers@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

Our volunteer hedgelaying team have finished this tricky hedge at Hailey burial ground and they've done a cracking job, as ever!

We've already had some lovely comments from the immediate neighbours and parish councillors.

Big thanks to the team - a brilliant wrap to the season!

If you are interested in joining the volunteer hedgelayers, drop us an email at volunteers@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

Overall, there has been a decline in butterfly numbers over the last 10 years. Monitoring this change has never been more important.

Butterfly records are scarce across West Oxfordshire and the Wychwood Forest area, making it more difficult to track how populations in our area are changing. Luckily, it's easy to help change that.

There are two simple ways you can start recording butterflies:

Download the free iRecord Butterflies app, which can be used to make records wherever you are. It's very simple and includes identification help and location tracking.

Create an account and start recording butterflies in your garden on Butterfly Conservation's website. It's easy to use with plenty of guidance and photos to help with identification.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/recording-and-monitoring/irecord-butterflies

You can download free identification guides to the butterflies you might see in the historic Wychwood area - 120 square miles of West Oxfordshire - from our website.
https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/shop

Many thanks to Butterfly Conservation's Upper Thames Branch for putting together these guides for us.

Overall, there has been a decline in butterfly numbers over the last 10 years. Monitoring this change has never been more important.

Butterfly records are scarce across West Oxfordshire and the Wychwood Forest area, making it more difficult to track how populations in our area are changing. Luckily, it's easy to help change that.

There are two simple ways you can start recording butterflies:

Download the free iRecord Butterflies app, which can be used to make records wherever you are. It's very simple and includes identification help and location tracking.

Create an account and start recording butterflies in your garden on Butterfly Conservation's website. It's easy to use with plenty of guidance and photos to help with identification.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/recording-and-monitoring/irecord-butterflies

You can download free identification guides to the butterflies you might see in the historic Wychwood area - 120 square miles of West Oxfordshire - from our website.
https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/shop

Many thanks to Butterfly Conservation's Upper Thames Branch for putting together these guides for us.

"Tales from the Wychwood Forest" - a talk
by Val Burton on Wednesday April 29th at St Johns Church Hailey, starting at 7.30 pm.

Val will talk about the hard life of the people who lived within the forest boundaries and surrounding area. They include the Dunsdon brothers (Tom, Dick and Harry) from Fulbrook, Fair Rosamund of Woodstock/Godstow and The Ascott under Wychwood Martyrs. There might be some poaching tales and a few ghost stories too!

Tickets for this event are £7.00 per person payable on the door, which includes a glass of wine and nibbles.

To reserve tickets for collection on the door, please ring 01993 357 047 and leave a name and the number of tickets required.

"Tales from the Wychwood Forest" - a talk
by Val Burton on Wednesday April 29th at St Johns Church Hailey, starting at 7.30 pm.

Val will talk about the hard life of the people who lived within the forest boundaries and surrounding area. They include the Dunsdon brothers (Tom, Dick and Harry) from Fulbrook, Fair Rosamund of Woodstock/Godstow and The Ascott under Wychwood Martyrs. There might be some poaching tales and a few ghost stories too!

Tickets for this event are £7.00 per person payable on the door, which includes a glass of wine and nibbles.

To reserve tickets for collection on the door, please ring 01993 357 047 and leave a name and the number of tickets required.

On 24th March, WFT's Roger Newman will be delivering a talk for @charlburywildlife about butterflies.

He'll be exploring the increase in numbers seen in 2025 after a very poor 2024, and the need to know more about the patterns of occurrence over years to understand the health of different species.

Roger works with @savebutterflies and the Wychwood Forest Trust, facilitating teams of citizen scientists who are key in collecting data.

The talk will take place at the Friends Meeting House, 7.30 - 9pm. Everyone is welcome. The talk is free to members (membership £12.50 annually) and those under 18. A contribution of £5 is invited from anyone else to help fund CWS wildlife initiatives.

If you'd like to know more about the schedule of talks and the important work that Charlbury Wildlife Society support, please contact charlburywildlifesociety@gmail.com for details.

Pictured: the rare black hairstreak butterfly photographed last year by one of our volunteers, Ellie Reid, at Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury.

On 24th March, WFT's Roger Newman will be delivering a talk for @charlburywildlife about butterflies.

He'll be exploring the increase in numbers seen in 2025 after a very poor 2024, and the need to know more about the patterns of occurrence over years to understand the health of different species.

Roger works with @savebutterflies and the Wychwood Forest Trust, facilitating teams of citizen scientists who are key in collecting data.

The talk will take place at the Friends Meeting House, 7.30 - 9pm. Everyone is welcome. The talk is free to members (membership £12.50 annually) and those under 18. A contribution of £5 is invited from anyone else to help fund CWS wildlife initiatives.

If you'd like to know more about the schedule of talks and the important work that Charlbury Wildlife Society support, please contact charlburywildlifesociety@gmail.com for details.

Pictured: the rare black hairstreak butterfly photographed last year by one of our volunteers, Ellie Reid, at Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury.

Our beautiful new benches have arrived at Foxburrow Wood.

They were made by the incredible chainsaw artist Matt Crabb at @titan_elysian and delivered by the wonderfully patient Troy!

Thank you both so much - they are spectacular, even better than we could have imagined! They will bring years of pleasure, as well as somewhere comfy to sit for all our visitors to the nature reserve.

Our beautiful new benches have arrived at Foxburrow Wood.

They were made by the incredible chainsaw artist Matt Crabb at @titan_elysian and delivered by the wonderfully patient Troy!

Thank you both so much - they are spectacular, even better than we could have imagined! They will bring years of pleasure, as well as somewhere comfy to sit for all our visitors to the nature reserve.

Our brilliant volunteer walling group have been battling the elements over the last month to restore a collapsed dry stone wall for Hailey Parish Council in Poffley End.

Thanks to some long-awaited sunshine, they finally got it finished! They've done a brilliant job.

The wall marks a boundary for the Allotment for the Labouring Poor, a charity that provides local parishioners with allotments for cultivation of fruit and vegetables and grazing paddocks for local recreational livestock.

The next project will be to rebuild a wall at the boundary of Barnes Meadow, part of Langel Common owned by West Oxfordshire District Council.

We are always on the lookout for future projects within our Wychwood Parishes, and happy to discuss wall construction or restoration projects with local communities, so do get in touch.

info@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

Our brilliant volunteer walling group have been battling the elements over the last month to restore a collapsed dry stone wall for Hailey Parish Council in Poffley End.

Thanks to some long-awaited sunshine, they finally got it finished! They've done a brilliant job.

The wall marks a boundary for the Allotment for the Labouring Poor, a charity that provides local parishioners with allotments for cultivation of fruit and vegetables and grazing paddocks for local recreational livestock.

The next project will be to rebuild a wall at the boundary of Barnes Meadow, part of Langel Common owned by West Oxfordshire District Council.

We are always on the lookout for future projects within our Wychwood Parishes, and happy to discuss wall construction or restoration projects with local communities, so do get in touch.

info@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

On February 28th, some of the WFT hedgelaying group took part in a new hedgelaying competition for novices held at Harcourt Arboretum.

The event was run by @cpre_oxfordshire (Campaign to Protect Rural England) in partnership with @wild_oxfordshire and @oxfordbga.

Huge congratulations to Clare Musson and Anne Lister who were placed second in the Beginners Pairs class - a fantastic achievement! We are really proud of them.

Meanwhile, the WFT hedgelaying group continue their work at Jubilee Way and Hailey churchyard.

Do drop Stuart Bridger a line if you'd like to get involved.

stuart.bridger@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

On February 28th, some of the WFT hedgelaying group took part in a new hedgelaying competition for novices held at Harcourt Arboretum.

The event was run by @cpre_oxfordshire (Campaign to Protect Rural England) in partnership with @wild_oxfordshire and @oxfordbga.

Huge congratulations to Clare Musson and Anne Lister who were placed second in the Beginners Pairs class - a fantastic achievement! We are really proud of them.

Meanwhile, the WFT hedgelaying group continue their work at Jubilee Way and Hailey churchyard.

Do drop Stuart Bridger a line if you'd like to get involved.

stuart.bridger@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

More than 35 people braved the drizzle to gather at Foxburrow last week, to remember Ken Betteridge, one of the driving forces behind the inception of the Wychwood Project.

His wife Brenda and daughter Lynn spoke very movingly about Ken's passion for the natural world, before planting a Wild Service tree in his memory, along with his granddaughters.

For those of you who were unable to be there, Lynn has kindly allowed us to share an extract from her speech:

"Perhaps the most powerful words to leave you with are his own. In his first will, written in 1989, he wrote:

Look after your very special habitat, Planet Earth, and follow that simple adage of leaving this Good Earth in a better condition than when you inherited it. This has been my philosophy since I was a young man… Now do your bit for the next generation.

This tree is our way of honouring that philosophy. It will stand as a living reminder of Ken’s belief in patience, persistence, and hope. It will grow in the landscape he loved, and it will carry forward the spirit of everything he worked for — community, conservation, and the beauty of the natural world."

More than 35 people braved the drizzle to gather at Foxburrow last week, to remember Ken Betteridge, one of the driving forces behind the inception of the Wychwood Project.

His wife Brenda and daughter Lynn spoke very movingly about Ken's passion for the natural world, before planting a Wild Service tree in his memory, along with his granddaughters.

For those of you who were unable to be there, Lynn has kindly allowed us to share an extract from her speech:

"Perhaps the most powerful words to leave you with are his own. In his first will, written in 1989, he wrote:

Look after your very special habitat, Planet Earth, and follow that simple adage of leaving this Good Earth in a better condition than when you inherited it. This has been my philosophy since I was a young man… Now do your bit for the next generation.

This tree is our way of honouring that philosophy. It will stand as a living reminder of Ken’s belief in patience, persistence, and hope. It will grow in the landscape he loved, and it will carry forward the spirit of everything he worked for — community, conservation, and the beauty of the natural world."

On 2pm on Friday 20th February, we are holding a memorial gathering and tree planting for Ken Betteridge at Foxburrow Wood.

Ken, who sadly passed away last year, was a founding member of The Friends of Wychwood, organising the Forest Fair and supporting the Wychwood Project (as WFT was formerly known) for many many years.

Ken’s name was familiar to generations of Oxfordshire natural historians, and WFT owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

If you'd like to join us and his family for the gathering at Foxburrow - to which everyone is warmly invited - do please RSVP to info@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk so we can manage numbers and parking.

On 2pm on Friday 20th February, we are holding a memorial gathering and tree planting for Ken Betteridge at Foxburrow Wood.

Ken, who sadly passed away last year, was a founding member of The Friends of Wychwood, organising the Forest Fair and supporting the Wychwood Project (as WFT was formerly known) for many many years.

Ken’s name was familiar to generations of Oxfordshire natural historians, and WFT owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

If you'd like to join us and his family for the gathering at Foxburrow - to which everyone is warmly invited - do please RSVP to info@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk so we can manage numbers and parking.

The January newsletter is out.

There are updates from our walling and hedgelaying groups; notice of a memorial tree planting ceremony for Ken Betteridge; and news from WFT partner organisations like Evenlode Catchment Partnership, Charlbury Wildlife Society and Bridewell Gardens.

If you'd like to sign up to receive monthly updates, head to our website to subscribe. https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

The January newsletter is out.

There are updates from our walling and hedgelaying groups; notice of a memorial tree planting ceremony for Ken Betteridge; and news from WFT partner organisations like Evenlode Catchment Partnership, Charlbury Wildlife Society and Bridewell Gardens.

If you'd like to sign up to receive monthly updates, head to our website to subscribe. https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

The WFT walling team have done an amazing job on the entrance wall at Foxburrow. They've been patiently working away at it over the last couple of years and it is finally complete, and looking fantastic!

Huge thanks to Roger, Sheena, Trevor, Godfrey, Dave, Pete, and the other volunteers for all their hard work.

The WFT walling team have done an amazing job on the entrance wall at Foxburrow. They've been patiently working away at it over the last couple of years and it is finally complete, and looking fantastic!

Huge thanks to Roger, Sheena, Trevor, Godfrey, Dave, Pete, and the other volunteers for all their hard work.

Our amazing hedgelaying group kicked off the new year yesterday, back on their longstanding project at Jubilee Way in Witney.

9 keen volunteers turned out for the session, including new member David, who did brilliantly with some very challenging sections under Stuart's expert instruction. Clare did an excellent job starting the binding, and Steve continued to power on down the hedge.

What had seemed to be a bit of a tall order to reach the next gateway before the end of the season is now very much in reach! Well done folks - fantastic start to the year and thank you for your continued hard work and commitment.

Our amazing hedgelaying group kicked off the new year yesterday, back on their longstanding project at Jubilee Way in Witney.

9 keen volunteers turned out for the session, including new member David, who did brilliantly with some very challenging sections under Stuart's expert instruction. Clare did an excellent job starting the binding, and Steve continued to power on down the hedge.

What had seemed to be a bit of a tall order to reach the next gateway before the end of the season is now very much in reach! Well done folks - fantastic start to the year and thank you for your continued hard work and commitment.

A happy Christmas and peaceful New Year to all!

It was great to see some friendly faces at Foxburrow Wood last week for the final volunteer work party of the year. Fifteen of us gathered on a rare dry day to coppice one of the hazel stands, to restock stakes and binders for the hedgelaying team’s winter program around the Wychwood. In a way it was a full-circle moment, as the hazel was planted at the beginning of Foxburrow’s restoration with the intention that it would one day be harvested for ‘sustainable’ hedge and habitat management. All very satisfying, and the sun shone for mince pies too.

Other highlights in 2025 have been watching how the work to undo some of the aggressive land drainage at Gibbets Hill has started to take effect. The small wetlands have been backing up and retaining water as hoped, the pioneer amphibians and dragonflies are in, and the ‘water-hole effect’ on life across the land is already noticeable. This year has seen a noticeable influx of hares across Gibbets too.

It was also very satisfying to have a second black hairstreak butterfly pose for a photograph at Wigwell this summer. Arguably the UK’s rarest butterfly, our first was photographed there in 2024 and caused a flurry of excitement. As it needs messier hedges, woodland edges, and blackthorn of various ages to thrive, it is one of the poster species for the benefits of scrub and scruffy margins scattered through our countryside.

A big thank you to everyone that has supported us physically, financially, or morally over the past year. We couldn’t do it without your encouragement. Have a restful and happy time over the Christmas holiday.

We’ll see you all in the New Year!

A happy Christmas and peaceful New Year to all!

It was great to see some friendly faces at Foxburrow Wood last week for the final volunteer work party of the year. Fifteen of us gathered on a rare dry day to coppice one of the hazel stands, to restock stakes and binders for the hedgelaying team’s winter program around the Wychwood. In a way it was a full-circle moment, as the hazel was planted at the beginning of Foxburrow’s restoration with the intention that it would one day be harvested for ‘sustainable’ hedge and habitat management. All very satisfying, and the sun shone for mince pies too.

Other highlights in 2025 have been watching how the work to undo some of the aggressive land drainage at Gibbets Hill has started to take effect. The small wetlands have been backing up and retaining water as hoped, the pioneer amphibians and dragonflies are in, and the ‘water-hole effect’ on life across the land is already noticeable. This year has seen a noticeable influx of hares across Gibbets too.

It was also very satisfying to have a second black hairstreak butterfly pose for a photograph at Wigwell this summer. Arguably the UK’s rarest butterfly, our first was photographed there in 2024 and caused a flurry of excitement. As it needs messier hedges, woodland edges, and blackthorn of various ages to thrive, it is one of the poster species for the benefits of scrub and scruffy margins scattered through our countryside.

A big thank you to everyone that has supported us physically, financially, or morally over the past year. We couldn’t do it without your encouragement. Have a restful and happy time over the Christmas holiday.

We’ll see you all in the New Year!

We are planning to do one last volunteer session at Foxburrow on Thursday 11th December at 10am, to coppice the hazel stools to provide stakes and binders for the hedgelaying group.

Coppicing the hazel on rotation and actually using it on site or nearby for traditional management is very much in keeping with the original intentions for Foxburrow at its planting more than 15 years ago. This will be the first coppicing at the site.

Afterwards, probably around 12, there will be a Christmassy gathering with mince pies and hot drinks around the fire, to which everyone is invited - a chance for us to say a big thank you to all our dedicated WFT volunteers for their hard work this year.

If you would like to join us for the coppicing and/or the gathering, drop Maeve a line at maeve@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

We are planning to do one last volunteer session at Foxburrow on Thursday 11th December at 10am, to coppice the hazel stools to provide stakes and binders for the hedgelaying group.

Coppicing the hazel on rotation and actually using it on site or nearby for traditional management is very much in keeping with the original intentions for Foxburrow at its planting more than 15 years ago. This will be the first coppicing at the site.

Afterwards, probably around 12, there will be a Christmassy gathering with mince pies and hot drinks around the fire, to which everyone is invited - a chance for us to say a big thank you to all our dedicated WFT volunteers for their hard work this year.

If you would like to join us for the coppicing and/or the gathering, drop Maeve a line at maeve@wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk

Was a pleasure to see so many of our members and supporters on Saturday at the WFT AGM.

It was a fantastic day with everyone greatly enthused by Neil's presentation 'Reviving the Wychwood'. He introduced our new strategic priorities for the next 3 years which include strengthening support for our volunteers; promoting evidence, research and education; and creating stronger collaborations for mutual benefit.

We were also delighted to have Chloe Edwards as our keynote speaker. Chloe is Oxfordshire County Council's project manger for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. She gave a brilliant talk about OCC's coordinated strategy to create a more resilient and more connected network of nature across the county, which will help wildlife to flourish, improve the quality of our air and water, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Chloe explained how the plan has been put together and showed us the new interactive tools and map that will be publicly available to help direct and coordinate local nature recovery efforts.

A big thank you to Chloe and also to the brilliant team at FarmED who looked after us so well and provided a delicious lunch.

'Reviving the Wychwood: Strategic Priorities 2025-28' is available to view via the link in the footer of our website.

Was a pleasure to see so many of our members and supporters on Saturday at the WFT AGM.

It was a fantastic day with everyone greatly enthused by Neil's presentation 'Reviving the Wychwood'. He introduced our new strategic priorities for the next 3 years which include strengthening support for our volunteers; promoting evidence, research and education; and creating stronger collaborations for mutual benefit.

We were also delighted to have Chloe Edwards as our keynote speaker. Chloe is Oxfordshire County Council's project manger for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. She gave a brilliant talk about OCC's coordinated strategy to create a more resilient and more connected network of nature across the county, which will help wildlife to flourish, improve the quality of our air and water, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Chloe explained how the plan has been put together and showed us the new interactive tools and map that will be publicly available to help direct and coordinate local nature recovery efforts.

A big thank you to Chloe and also to the brilliant team at FarmED who looked after us so well and provided a delicious lunch.

'Reviving the Wychwood: Strategic Priorities 2025-28' is available to view via the link in the footer of our website.

A quick reminder that our Annual General Meeting will be held at FarmED this Saturday 1st November.

The address is Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood, England, OX7 6BJ.

As well as the usual business, we will be hearing from our CEO, Neil Clennell about the highlights and achievements of the last year.

This will be followed by a talk by Chloe Edwards who is Oxfordshire County Council's LNRS Project Manager. Chloe will be telling us about preparing and delivering a targeted and resilient network for nature across the county.

A complimentary light buffet lunch will be provided, followed by an opportunity to take a short guided walk to look at the landscape features in the valley around FarmED in the context of opportunities for nature recovery.

It looks set to be a really fantastic day and everyone is welcome. Tickets are free, but in order to manage guest numbers, we are issuing tickets on a first come, first served basis.

There are still some available from our website - https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

A quick reminder that our Annual General Meeting will be held at FarmED this Saturday 1st November.

The address is Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood, England, OX7 6BJ.

As well as the usual business, we will be hearing from our CEO, Neil Clennell about the highlights and achievements of the last year.

This will be followed by a talk by Chloe Edwards who is Oxfordshire County Council's LNRS Project Manager. Chloe will be telling us about preparing and delivering a targeted and resilient network for nature across the county.

A complimentary light buffet lunch will be provided, followed by an opportunity to take a short guided walk to look at the landscape features in the valley around FarmED in the context of opportunities for nature recovery.

It looks set to be a really fantastic day and everyone is welcome. Tickets are free, but in order to manage guest numbers, we are issuing tickets on a first come, first served basis.

There are still some available from our website - https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

We are still buzzing from the success of our second annual hedgelaying competition.

It was fantastic to see so many competitors returning, and to welcome some new faces.

Hedgelaying creates dense, multi-layered habitats that provide crucial food, shelter, and nesting sites for wildlife. Hedges also act as wildlife ‘corridors’, creating highways across the countryside, connecting different habitats, and allowing wildlife to move about.

Hedgelaying also encourages biodiversity by promoting the growth of flowering and fruiting plants, and established hedges store carbon, prevent soil erosion, and filter pollutants from the air and water.

So the hedgelaying competition is an important event in our calendar, a real celebration of this rural craft. Not only does it allow us to acknowledge the impressive skill of hedgelayers locally and further afield, it also means that a long expanse of hedge at Foxburrow nature reserve was laid in one day, and will continue to have a positive impact on nature for many years to come.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers and competitors for supporting our work in this way, and helping to restore traditional hedges in the Wychwood area.

For details of this year’s winners and photos of the day, go to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025

See you next year!

We are still buzzing from the success of our second annual hedgelaying competition.

It was fantastic to see so many competitors returning, and to welcome some new faces.

Hedgelaying creates dense, multi-layered habitats that provide crucial food, shelter, and nesting sites for wildlife. Hedges also act as wildlife ‘corridors’, creating highways across the countryside, connecting different habitats, and allowing wildlife to move about.

Hedgelaying also encourages biodiversity by promoting the growth of flowering and fruiting plants, and established hedges store carbon, prevent soil erosion, and filter pollutants from the air and water.

So the hedgelaying competition is an important event in our calendar, a real celebration of this rural craft. Not only does it allow us to acknowledge the impressive skill of hedgelayers locally and further afield, it also means that a long expanse of hedge at Foxburrow nature reserve was laid in one day, and will continue to have a positive impact on nature for many years to come.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers and competitors for supporting our work in this way, and helping to restore traditional hedges in the Wychwood area.

For details of this year’s winners and photos of the day, go to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025

See you next year!

A quick reminder that our Annual General Meeting will be held at FarmED on 1st November.

The address is Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood, England, OX7 6BJ.

As well as the usual business, we will be hearing from our CEO, Neil Clennell about the highlights and achievements of the last year.

This will be followed by a talk by Chloe Edwards who is Oxfordshire County Council's LNRS Project Manager. Chloe will be telling us about preparing and delivering a targeted and resilient network for nature across the county.

A complimentary light buffet lunch will be provided, followed by an opportunity to take a short guided walk to look at the landscape features in the valley around FarmED in the context of opportunities for nature recovery.

It looks set to be a really fantastic day and everyone is welcome. Tickets are free, but in order to manage guest numbers, we are issuing tickets on a first come, first served basis.

There are still some available from our website - https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

A quick reminder that our Annual General Meeting will be held at FarmED on 1st November.

The address is Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood, England, OX7 6BJ.

As well as the usual business, we will be hearing from our CEO, Neil Clennell about the highlights and achievements of the last year.

This will be followed by a talk by Chloe Edwards who is Oxfordshire County Council's LNRS Project Manager. Chloe will be telling us about preparing and delivering a targeted and resilient network for nature across the county.

A complimentary light buffet lunch will be provided, followed by an opportunity to take a short guided walk to look at the landscape features in the valley around FarmED in the context of opportunities for nature recovery.

It looks set to be a really fantastic day and everyone is welcome. Tickets are free, but in order to manage guest numbers, we are issuing tickets on a first come, first served basis.

There are still some available from our website - https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/event-list

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

WFT volunteers and the Cotswolds wardens have been busy coppicing Breach Wood in Hailey to harvest 500 stakes and binders ready for the annual WFT hedgelaying tournament on 11th October.

We can't wait! It is one of our favourite events of the year. We still have some spaces left, especially for the Beginners Pairs class, so do sign up if you are interested.

It's a small friendly competition, with free bacon butties and fruit cake for the competitors! As well as the traditional cutting fee and a great atmosphere obviously.

Head to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025 for more details and how to enter.

WFT volunteers and the Cotswolds wardens have been busy coppicing Breach Wood in Hailey to harvest 500 stakes and binders ready for the annual WFT hedgelaying tournament on 11th October.

We can't wait! It is one of our favourite events of the year. We still have some spaces left, especially for the Beginners Pairs class, so do sign up if you are interested.

It's a small friendly competition, with free bacon butties and fruit cake for the competitors! As well as the traditional cutting fee and a great atmosphere obviously.

Head to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025 for more details and how to enter.

Only two weeks left to go!

We are busy getting ready for one of the highlights of our year, the WFT Annual Hedgelaying Championship.

There's still a few places left in the tournament, so you can still sign up if you are interested - whether you are a complete beginner or an old hand.

Go to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025 for more details.

Only two weeks left to go!

We are busy getting ready for one of the highlights of our year, the WFT Annual Hedgelaying Championship.

There's still a few places left in the tournament, so you can still sign up if you are interested - whether you are a complete beginner or an old hand.

Go to https://www.wychwoodforesttrust.co.uk/hedgelaying-championship-2025 for more details.

If you are out and about near Charlbury tomorrow, do drop in and see us at the street fair.

WFT will be joining colleagues from other local environmental and wildlife-related groups on the nature recovery stall. There's so much going on to restore nature in our area, so do come and learn more about what we are all doing, and find out how you can get involved.

Picture is of a black hairstreak. One of our nature recovery highlights of the year is confirming the presence of these rare and elusive butterflies at Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury. There is much to celebrate!

If you are out and about near Charlbury tomorrow, do drop in and see us at the street fair.

WFT will be joining colleagues from other local environmental and wildlife-related groups on the nature recovery stall. There's so much going on to restore nature in our area, so do come and learn more about what we are all doing, and find out how you can get involved.

Picture is of a black hairstreak. One of our nature recovery highlights of the year is confirming the presence of these rare and elusive butterflies at Wigwell nature reserve in Charlbury. There is much to celebrate!

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