Wytham Woods (also known as the Woods of Hazel) cover some 415 ha within the Wytham Estate, which is c.980 ha in extent. Apart from the Woods, most of the land is farmland. The Estate was sold to the University of Oxford by Raymond ffennell who also gave the woodland to the University in 1943. The donor stipulated that: "every care should be taken to preserve the woods in their present state of natural beauty.... the University will take all reasonable steps to preserve and maintain the woodlands and will use them for the instruction of suitable students and will provide facilities for research it is in the hope and expectation of the grantor that the character of the lands included in this agreement and the buildings thereon will remain as far as possible as at present...".

Web site designed by Clair Hurst, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, UK