The arden is our beautiful, private 110,000-acre community. It includes rolling hills, woodlands, a lake and an elegant mansion. Its unique cultural, historical and environmental legacy makes it a special place to live.
The name “arden” comes from the Brythonic word for “high land”. It is a name that reflects our community’s history, and it also reflects our natural landscape. The arden was originally a thickly forested area that was known as the Forest of Arden. It was located near the geographical center of England, bounded by the Roman roads Icknield Street, Watling Street and Fosse Way and a prehistoric salt track from Droitwich. It was a popular site for settlements, including Hampton-in-Arden, Henley-in-Arden and Tanworth-in-Arden. It is also home to the historic ruins of the Iron Age hillfort at Coughton, and the site of an ancient mark stone called the Coughton Cross where travellers prayed for safe passage into the Forest.
In the early 1900s, the Village of Arden was founded as a Single Tax community inspired by the economic philosophy of Henry George and the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris. Residents own their homes, but pay rent for communal land such as greens and forests. This “land rent” pays for village, county and school expenses. Half the arden is reserved as public open space.
Today, most arden activities are organized by the Arden Club, Inc. The Club’s main facility is Gild Hall, which hosts concerts, musicals, plays and dinners Saturday evenings throughout the year. The Fair helps fund the Hall, as well as other community activities. The Club also produces a little spiral-bound phone book for the three Ardens (Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft) and maintains an extensive website with links to government information and local resources.