This ancient broadleaved woodland may be much smaller than it was in medieval times, when it was used as a Royal Hunting Ground, but it is still the largest continuous wood in the county. The Forest is notable for plants such as herb-Paris, adder’s-tongue fern and early purple orchid. It also contains calcium-rich ‘marl lakes’, which are abundant in insect life. Proposed by the Society in 1913, a large proportion of the site is now designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is owned by the Cornbury Park Estate. The majority of the Wychwood Forest is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
(Above) the original SPNR survey documents for Wychwood Forest
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