A FREE exhibition exploring the history of the Wychwood Forest will involve a hands-on demonstration on an ancient craft.

Members of the Wychwood Project, which is running the exhibition at The Oxfordshire Museum, in Woodstock, will be teaching residents about hurdle-making on Saturday.

The exhibition, which will run throughout the summer, explains the origins of Wychwood Forest as a hunting ground for Norman royalty and illustrates the way of life of local people in the 19th century.

There are archive recordings, photographs, tools and artefacts that illustrate the lives of shepherds, woodsmen and gloveresses who worked in the forest more than 100 years ago.

Exhibits also cover the dramatic change to West Oxfordshire in the 1850s when much of the forest was enclosed, trees were felled and the land was turned over to farming.

The Wychwood Project, a local conservation charity, mounted the exhibition with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and West Oxfordshire District Council to help people to understand more about the history of the area and how it can be preserved and enhanced.

The museum is open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and 2pm to 5pm on Sundays.

For more information on the project visit wychwoodproject.org