Wychwood forest - UK enquiry

[X-QUORK]

Hello all,

I'm an ex-AAC bloke - so I'll understand if this query can't be answered for all the usual security reasons, but if anyone thinks they can help I'd be very grateful.

Near the village of Leafield in West Oxfordshire (about 5 miles north of Brize) there's a large wooded area - it's what's left of the once huge Wychwood forest. There's been a lot of Pumas to-ing and fro-ing....some army Saracens entering....all very peculiar as there's never been an MOD training area in that part of the county. Some of my family live in the village and there are some pretty weird and wonderful rumours starting to circulate about what might be going on. Can any of you advise as to what's happening in there ?

Maybe one for the Benson chaps?

Regards

X-Quork

[BEagle]

The route from Benson to SW of Chalgrove is a low level 'Charlie Delta' route used by traffic crossing the Brize CTR at LL.

No idea about Saracens - militaria rally perhaps?

Or maybe the truth is out there, doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo............

[X-QUORK]

No Beags, the Pumas have been flying in and landing on quite regularly - both day and night. I can't vouch for the army vehicle type - but some kind of wheeled armoured job. Apparently a Lord Rothchild owns the land and once a year (on Palm Sunday I think) the villagers are granted rights of access through the centre of the forest. This year they discovered that some of the ornamental lakes in the grounds had been filled in and new buildings were being erected. Of course, providing the owner has planning permission he can do what he wants on his own land, but many local people are extremely concerned about the environmental impact to the area.

Yes, some of the locals are probably starting to imagine an X-Files type scenario - construction of the new Area 51 anyone? But in all seriousness, I don't think it would do any harm to consult with local residents before starting on large scale works involving considerable low-level rotary activities over an extended period of time.

[Man-on-the-fence]

You are assuming the two are connected of course. They may not be.

[X-QUORK]

Man-on-the-fence,

Of course, the assumption has been made that they are connected - this could well prove to be incorrect. Had it not been for the army vehicle activity I would have thought nothing of it myself, just a handy spot for the cabs to do a spot of training in the woods.

Anyway, I'm not passing judgement, or implying that there are any sneaky-beaky activities going on in the forest - just being a bit nosey so that I can pass it on to the folk at Leafield. You know what Joe Public are like once they start to add 2+2 to get 5.

"Summat goin' on down the woods - them's diggin' a secret nuklear bunker for the aliens..."

[BEagle]

I thought that the Palm Sunday grant had long since been overtaken by increased rights of access to the Wycca wood. So that the Great Unwashed have been trampling about leaving their discarded litter in the forest and ruining the road verges far more than was the case 20-ish years ago.

[X-QUORK]

Ummmm...yes Beags, sort of....I understand that the landlord was forced by the local council to re-instate some of the ancient right of way routes. A circular path around the edges of the wood was agreed upon, but once a year on Palm Sunday the public can still walk through the middle and it was on the last occasion that the "works" were discovered.

[tengah chum]

Wychwood Forest is part of The Cornbury Park estate, owned by Lord Rotherwick. He is a keen rotary and fixed wing pilot .
As I undertstand it he has given permission for Benson to use the Forest for training, I have seen numerous Pumas and the occasional Merlin,but no armoured vehicles.

[X-QUORK]

Thanks Tengah, I'll pass that info on.....

[Gainesy]

I'll bet his Gamekeepers are well happy.