A group of skilled craftsmen are to carve their way into history as the county celebrates its 1,000th birthday.

Brian Eastoe, a tutor at weekly wood carving classes at Abingdon and Witney College, and other members of the Ox and Bucks Woodcarvers Association, have been asked to produce 15 panels - each one representing places associated with important events in the history of Oxfordshire.

The commission from Oxford Inspires, organisers of the county's Millennium celebrations, will involve creating five sets of carvings.

Scenes represented will include the White Horse, associated with King Alfred and dating from even more than 1,000 years ago; the Martyrs Memorial in St Giles, Oxford, which commemorates the Protestant martrys burned during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary in the 16th century; and the Cowley car factory, with representations of both the Mini and the first Morris car.

Mr Eastoe, who last year presented a lime wood montage of 11 carvings to the town library in Abingdonn, marking the 450th anniversary of the first Royal Charter, said: "We are delighted to do our bit to celebrate Oxfordshire."

He added that the group would not receive money for the county carvings from Oxford Inspires, although the lime wood required for the carvings has been donated by timber supplier Timbmet of Cumnor Hill, Oxford.

Until three years ago, Mr Eastoe was employed by Abingdon and Witney College as a tutor but now operates on a freelance basis with students receiving membership of the Ox and Bucks Woodcarvers Association.