Currently in: Michaelmas 2026
Contact us
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What's happening?
Every week we will have Sunday afternoon Battle Practice and Thursday evening kit making meetings. We also have several big events within Oxford University's term including an evening fire, a feast, a market trip, and other social events. You can get involved in as much or as little as you like!
You don’t need any previous experience or materials/equipment of your own - everything will be provided and explained.
Battle Practice Sunday afternoons 1-3 PM
Learn display and competitive fighting with steel swords and spears. We meet at the bottom of Jackdaw Lane, on the eastern side of the Iffley Sports Centre.
what3words location: duty.aware.dragon
You'll progress over the term from simple moves to free fighting. Once ready, you can take our competency test, meaning you're qualified to perform displays. We are also trialling outside crafts that you can get involved in when you need to rest or if you want to be involved in wychwood but not in the fighting side.
Kit Making and Crafts on Thursday evenings 7:30 - 10:30 PM
You can make your own set of kit using historical techniques! You also have the opportunity to learn authentic crafts including drop spinning, tablet weaving, chainmail construction, woodwork and leatherwork. We meet in the entrance way (open the big brown door) of the entrance to Queen’s College at 7:30 PM every Thursday for three hours of crafts. You can arrive later than this, contact us using the above contacts, emails or the Society Discord if you need any help finding us.
Throughout Michaelmas we will be holding workshops designed for beginners to give a taster on what is available within reenactment.
This list is not exclusive and will change over the course of the term. We will update the termcard when more events are added so remember to check again for changes.
Event details
1ST WEEK
Sunday 11th October: 1-3 PM. Meet the Warriors
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- As a taster to our battle practice sessions, you will get the chance to try our swords and axes in a safe environment. You can meet our trainers and ask questions on what fighting is like at Wychwood.
- We will also have some of our kit making and crafts members displaying their skills alongside traditional board games like hnefatafl and tabula.
Thursday 15th October: 7:30 PM. Pouch Making
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches. For any latecomers we will be in Lecture Room B each week, go straight until you see the library with the members only sign, then turn right and you will see a big room with the light on.
- If you need help finding the room please contact us. More information will be in the email
- We have precut pouches that we will be making! This is an essential part of kit for shows to hold phones or sewing supplies but it’s also just a convenient holder of any bits and bobs!
- We will also have a fashion show and members will show what our kit looks like and what you can create if you stay on with us from trousers to hoods or hangerocks.
2ND WEEK
Sunday 18th October: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Clay Game Pieces
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also have some air drying clay so you can create your own Game Pieces because obviously the best part of Wychwood is being the person with the snazzy game pieces! You can create for 9 mens morris or hnefatafl or create something original!
Thursday 22rd October: 7:30 PM. Embroidery Workshop
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches.
- Maybe you really want to decorate your pouch with embroidery patterns from the period or you want to experiment with patterns! This week we bring the thread, materials and inspiration, get crafting, channeling your inner nun.
3RD WEEK
Sunday 25th October: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Whitling
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also have wood carving equipment so you could start designing your eating spoon or create mini cats or whatever you desire from a humble bit of wood. This will be weather dependent.
Thursday 29th October: 7:30 PM. Tablet weaving and chainmail bracelets
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches!
- Learn how to make butted Chainmail using links and pliers turning it into your own link bracelet or whatever you design. Or you can create a tablet woven bracelet, the traditional method for making clothing decoration and probably female belts (we don’t really know)! You will be able to finish them in one session.
Saturday 31st October: Evening. Fire
- Location: tbc
- Our fire celebrates the Anglo Saxon festival of Samhain and is an opportunity to be merry, drink mead, sing lots of songs and just have a good time! BYOB.
- More information to be sent out via email.
4TH WEEK
Sunday 1st November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Whitling
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also have wood carving equipment so you could start designing your eating spoon or create mini cats or whatever you desire from a humble bit of wood. This will be weather dependent.
Thursday 5th November: 7:30 PM. Belt Making Workshop
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches!
- Learn how to make a belt using traditional equipment and personalise it. You can pay the society £5 to buy the belt, buckle included and will finish it in one session easily!
5TH WEEK
Sunday 8th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Whitling
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also have wood carving equipment so you could start designing your eating spoon or create mini cats or whatever you desire from a humble bit of wood. This will be weather dependent.
Thursday 12th October: 7:30 PM. Calligraphy Workshop
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches!
- Learn the Old English alphabet, write and copy your own manuscripts and about the importance of writing to the period. You will need to bring a fountain pen or highlighter, we do have some spare if you forget!
- We will also talk through a guide to the Market Trip including what you should buy and look out for. You don’t have to buy everything straight away though as we have lots of kit you can borrow if you are interested in coming to events but don’t have time or money to create your own!
Saturday 14th November: whole day. Market Trip
- Meet: Keble Road 9 am
- We will go to TORM and ARM, two designated Re-enactors Markets, alongside mystery historic points of interest.
- More information will be sent via email closer to the time!
6TH WEEK
Sunday 15th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Spindle Making
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also be making spindles from air drying clay that you can take to the spinning workshop on Thursday week 7! This should be a fun easy craft to do.
Thursday 19th November: 7:30 PM. Finger Loop Braiding
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches!
- Get the chance to learn finger loop braiding with our wool. It’s really simple and quick to make and you can use it to fasten knife sheaths to belts or add decoration to objects and garments.
7TH WEEK
Sunday 22nd November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice and Board Games
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- We will also be bringing our authentic board games along (if the weather isn’t too bad).
Thursday 26th November: 7:30 PM. Spinning Workshop
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches.
- Learn how to drop spin. If you have made a spindle with us or bought one, bring it along! We will also have some spares. This is the first step before they would weave, nalbind or sew with their thread to make all their amazing garments.
Saturday 28th November: 6-10PM. Feast
- Location: tbc
- Join us for a multi course Dark Age feast complete with copious amounts of mead, songs, entertainment and games of strength and skill! A chance to show off any kit you might have made over the term or just come to enjoy the festivities. This is an event not to miss!
- More information will be sent via email.
8TH WEEK
Sunday 29th November: 1-3 PM. Battle Practice
- Location: Jackdaw Lane
- You will learn to fight with a variety of weapons including swords, spears and axes.
- We will begin with safety rules and basic hits, then move onto the more challenging aspects of reenactment fighting.
- This is the opportunity to do your competency tests if you are ready, and fully accomplish the weapon of your choice.
- More information to follow on what fun we have in store!
Thursday 3rd December: 7:30 PM. Bead Ceremony and Undergarment Cut Out Session
- Location: The Queen’s College, meet in the entrance of Queens at 7:30 PM, push open the big brown door and we’ll be at the wooden benches!
- You can buy calico off the society and we can help you cut out the undergarment fabric! We will also have beads (like scout badges but pretty beads) and you can bring along any projects you want to start or finish from previous weeks!
OTHER EVENTS
Battle of Hastings: Friday 9th to Saturday 10th of October
- Experienced members will be heading to Hastings to fight for country against the pesky Normans
- A great opportunity to meet other reenactors, interact with the public, get outside of Oxford and get involved in combat. This year is an important date being a whole 960 years to the day!
FOR THE DIARY
Hauksby 2027
Tuesday 30th March - Sunday 4th April
Our annual pilgrimage to live in the Danelaw village at Murton Park, the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. More information to follow closer to the time. An experience not to miss!
Old termcards from Trinity 2008 onwards can be viewed by clicking on 'History' below. Termcards from Michaelmas 1999 to Trinity 2007 are archived here.
