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Name:Wytham Hill
Hill number:6854
Height:164.3m / 539ft
Parent (Ma):2906  Walbury Hill
RHB Section:39: Central and Eastern England
County/UA:Oxfordshire
Catchment:Thames
Class:Tump (100-199m), Subhump, Clem
(Tu,1,sHu,Cm)
Grid ref:SP 45889 08281
Summit feature:no feature: ground 3m SE of water tank
Drop:94.9m
Col:69.3m  SP474059  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 164
(1:25k) 180W
Observations:brambly ground SSE towards brick wall is about as high
Survey:Abney level/KR 2x Hand Level
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 55 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
From Botley Gate car park with permit in hand.johnkenyon08/10/2023
With my permit. Lovely autumn meander in the woods. Very quiet once away from the tarmac access road.dal01/11/2022
From Wytham village, armed with permit application acknowledgment e-mail. No challenge; I walked up the tarmac road which has an hourly bus service as far as the research station. There were clearly people out conducting ecology research, someone examining blue tit nesting boxes, presumably the renowned phenology study. Returned via Marley Wood and Home Farm to give a fine circular walk of 6 km. Wytham Woods is one of several sites long associated with study of genetics, evolution and ecology at Oxford University- most within comfortable cycling distance of the colleges. It isn't hard to imagine their pre-war visits, conducting ground-breaking research, in these still unspoilt places.pwheeler02/06/2022
With permit but not asked for by anyone.davefh14/03/2022
Parked in road beside the White Hart pub. Walked with friend Iain up the main road/track tarmac all way to near the summit where turned left up a muddy track at crossroads near a building to the water tower and summit high points explored. Returned same way for lunch on bench by car park and then back to car and the White Hart for swift half of Oxford IPA - bootiful!! At no point was I challenged for access - but I had got a permit anyway in my wallet just in case!pdantic04/03/2022
Quick up and down from Swinford - parked at start of track. Sunday morning. Not challenged or asked for permit.PGCE29/08/2021
Surveyed by hand level. Now very overgrown. Galltywenallt12/07/2020
Armed with permit in form of a credit type card but wasn't needed. Pleasant walk up tarmac road through autumn colour in the woods. Massive military planes taking off nearby tended to spoil the peace !Mark Sims12/11/2019
Botley to Begbroke. Traversed through to Swinford Gate with permit to hand, but production not requested by anyone I encountered.Smudge28/10/2019
2nd and final tump of a 17km route from Langford Lane West (via Woodstock bus from Oxford Parkway) to Oxford, climbing Worton Heath and then the long lane to Cassington and over the Swinford toll bridge, taking the Thames path then over a bw topped gate and onto a track. I followed the track up the Western edge before taking a wild route SE past some beautiful Veteran Oaks and Chestnuts, reaching the water tower with no problem. I recorded 167m @ SP 45909 08269 but then explored the mound I could see in the field to the East, recording only 166m. Continuation via tracks to reach a gate at the 138m spot height. Once over this it was easygoing on a nice track to the lodge and then the roundabout, walking past the superstore and then on the main road into Oxford before deciding to take the next bus next to the train station.Dazingdale07/07/2019
From E armed with permit application, but no challenges.GordonAdshead21/06/2019
An opportunist bag on the way south, so no time to request a permit.I walked up the road from Wytham without problemsColin Crawford28/03/2019
Parked at layby SP 4442.0773. Gate into field, up side of wood then contoured N round below reservoir until trig could be reached (Swinford Farm trig). Then down and across to track to Wytham Hill. Large house in wood at top being renovated, but all quiet Saturday evening. HP not far away near water tower.Aye Jimmy23/03/2019
Pleasant romp around the woods - with permit in hand. Chalet undergoing refurb, so couldn't get close enough to bag the benchmark.DanMaisieBex10/03/2019
Accessed on cycle trip around Oxford and armed with permit but no one challenged. Stupendous autumnal colours. HP is between a water tower and brick tank in area of brambles on flattish ground. Did not visit Trig to W. Chalet near summit under refurbishment. Note that website highlights days when the whole site is closed for major work.Denise 09/11/2018
Having aquired a permit to visit (No charge - apply to www.wytham.ox.ac.uk) we left cycles in the car park and set off over grass to the hill top woods. Delightful autumnal colours in sunshine, some fine Beech trees. Forest track almost crosses the summit area, high point on E side of track in open woodland close to elevated water tank.RichardM09/11/2018
Walk from E via the Swinford gate whilst staying with friends in Eynsham (and who had the requisite permit). Pleasant woodland.milimana19/08/2018
Applied for permit - then took permit application acknowledgment from internet. No challengecarole engel29/07/2018
From West in light drizzle. Once in the wood I kept off the track. I saw a couple of cars in the wood but no people. There’s a motion sensitive camera attached to a tree by the gate so they’ll get a nice photo of you as you enter the wood.Herbert Anchovy09/04/2018
5 degrees, rain. From parking spot at NW edge of Stroud copse then followed wood line and round south side of reservoir. Absolute nightmare. Do not attempt this. Returned via track to N of res then across fields back to start. Much easier. Interesting building.Wycombe Wanderer26/12/2017
From the Sawmill car park. Pleasant woodland with tarmac track to within 150 ms from hp. In possession of a permit just in case I was challenged but there was nobody aroundCampbell Singer03/10/2017
Permits are easy to get - see www.wytham.ox.ac.uk and I think our community should get them when visiting. They are free although there is a request for a small donation to the charity which, in my view, is environmentally important. Super woods. Also an interesting research project. Easy hill to walk which I did from The Sawmill where I left my bike as I biked from Oxford Station along the Thames towpath.trimarc211/08/2017
6am Sunday am up track from west in wellies and full w,proofs as overnight downpour esased then stopped. Surprised to see large old Swiss chalet near summit , looked cold and past it's best with big single glazed windows, which must never see the sun in the woods. After the summit I found way to trig on descent. Breakfast back at car was horribly interrupted by being soaked in water from a passing car speeding through a huge puddle. Should have seen that coming. Then to 1st aid course starting at 9 am.Chris Pearson15/05/2017
From B4044 to the West, easy walk up track without being challenged.Tony J15/05/2016
Drove up to car park to the east. Lots of signs about permits. Nobody about, assume all on Easter holiday. Went to water tower area, but land beyond nearby gate appears higher in field corner.PeterD31/03/2016
After eventually getting through the queues from the till bridge, parked at western side and walked up between3-4pm without permit or any challenge from anyone. Tee class mound in field probable guest point but water tower and other brick overgrown building.vegibagger28/10/2015
Permitless ascent from B4044 to west. If driving from the north, you need 5p for the Swinford bridge toll.ngthack01/09/2015
Final hill in the county, second attempt after being turfed out for not having the permit couple of weeks ago. Returned today with ink on my shiny new permit still damp! Parked at the Boltley Lodge car park to SE; pleasant 5 miles circular walk picking up some benchmarks in Wytham village on the way. HP seems to be by a wooden lattice water tower in undergrowth 10m or so to E of good forest vehicle track.jonglew01/08/2015
From B4044 to the west.clivevilla14/06/2015
Up from the car park as others.simon and co03/06/2014
tarmac all the way to the summit area. ignore all the notices.arranc31/01/2014
old building by summit, area in the field to the north is high too.Adrian15/06/2013
Been meaning to come here for years, I work within a mile of the summit. The woods are used as a regular run/walk by most locals, I've not heard of anyone being challenged for a permit.rhalstead25/04/2013
Parked easily by telephone box. Walked to large car park as below. Could easily have driven. Then across fields to top - took road on way back - mush easier! Some signs saying 'Permit Holders only' but whole place is relaxed and busy - No problems.destaylor04/01/2013
Supposed to have a permit to walk in these woods (application on website for the woods). After two weeks of unanswered postal application, e-mails and phone messages, we gave up waiting and walked it anyway. Pleasant woodland stroll all tarmac from car park to summit, which is just before you reach the Swiss Chalet style building - thanks Jim for the summit description. Plenty of folks around but never challenged to show permit.Hillsidenick18/09/2012
Nice quiet area, very limited parking in the area unless using a university car park.JohnStoneham02/09/2012
Car Park (for University permit holders - no enforcement apparently) at SP467086. Very pleasant circular walk. Summit between wooden water tower and brick water storage reservoir.jimbloomer03/12/2011
RHW17/07/2002
dunx200516/03/2024
Minto12/08/2023
SteveG11/08/2023
Martin R07/10/2022
callumblack24/12/2021
Matt02/10/2021
AndyS11/10/2020
stub196919/06/2018
DC11main10/04/2018
Alan Whatley08/02/2018
andrew brown13/04/2016
Jacqdaw18/09/2012