Ascott under Wychwood

The village of Ascott under Wychwood is situated on the south side of the River Evenlode and lies on the Cotswold Railway (between Worcester and London). On the green, in the centre of the village, there is a bench around a chestnut tree - a memorial to 16 local women, The Ascott Martyrs of 1873, who campaigned for better wages for agricultural labourers.

During the Norman period, Ascott was granted to Roger d'Oyley and the east end of the village is still known as Ascott d'Oyley. The castle that he built was demolished after only 50 years but the earthworks (unfortunately not open to the public) can still be clearly seen from the public footpath by the river. The west end of the village is known as Ascott Earl (after an Earl of Worcester) and also had a castle - though this was probably only wooden and today only earth mounds mark the site.

In the High Street you will find Ascott Village Shop, owned and run by the local community, selling a range of local produce as well as baguettes and pasties baked on the premises.

There is a downloadable public transport leaflet (pdf 214k) showing local bus services and giving the phone numbers of local taxis.

Two circular bike rides pass the village:
Witney-Kingham (pdf 158k) cycle route, a 27 mile ride
Charlbury and the Secret Forest  (pdf 1.04Mb), a 17 mile horse or mountain bike ride that circles what remains of the ancient Wychwood Forest