Things to do
around Ascott-under-Wychwood

Ascott-under-Wychwood is a quiet village on the edge of the old Wychwood country, the sort of place you come to for slow walking and old stones rather than a busy high street. Within about two miles you'll find five places to visit, two spots to eat and drink, and one activity, which gives you a manageable day out with plenty of room to linger. Much of the interest here is in the landscape itself and in what earlier centuries left behind, so it suits anyone who likes reading a bit of history out of the shape of a field.

A good few hours might begin with a stretch of the D'Arcy Dalton Way, the long-distance path that gives you a proper sense of the surrounding countryside. From there, the village's two earthwork castles are worth seeking out: Ascott Earl motte and bailey castle, and Ascott d'Oyley 12th century motte and bailey castle with its associated earthworks, where a surviving fragment of Ascott d'Oyley Castle still stands. Round things off at The Wychwood Inn, which is the natural place to sit down once you've done your walking.