WYTHAM

Wytham is an attractive little village on the banks of the Seacourt Stream. Much of the village is owned by Oxford University and is beautifully kept and no building is allowed that is not compatible with the rest of the village.

The name Wytham is thought to mean the dwelling at the bend of the river and there has been a settlement at Wytham site since early times.

The parish church in Wytham is All Saints Church which was rebuilt in the early 19th century. For the history and full information about St. James' Church click here.

Near the church is the former manor house, Wytham Abbey, which is now divided into private apartments. There is actually no evidence that there has never been an abbey or any kind of religious house on this site, and formerly the abbey was known as Wytham House.

On the other side of the A34 towards Wolvercote, and across the bridge over the Seacourt Stream, is the site of Godstow Nunnery on the banks of the River Thames. The nunnery is now a ruin but once there was a magnificent church, courts, cloisters and a chapter house. Most of the buildings were demolished by Henry VIII during the dissolution and the remainder were burnt down by the Roundheads during the Civil War as Royalists had been using them in the defence of Godstone Bridge. Close to Godstow Nunnery is Godstow Lock.

Wytham Woods are a Site of Special Scientific Interest and are renowned for their high population of badgers and the long-term monitoring of great tits.

Wytham is about 3 miles north-west of Oxford, just to the west of the A34.