The arden is an area of woodland near the geographical center of England. It was formerly thickly forested and known as the Forest of Arden, bounded by Roman roads Icknield Street, Watling Street, Fosse Way, and a salt track whose southern end is the present day A435. Today, the forest covers most of the northern Warwickshire county of England, with parts in Staffordshire and Worcestershire.
The area is home to several towns such as Henley-in-Arden, Tanworth-in-Arden, and Hampton-in-Arden. It is also home to several villages named Arden, including Lapworth and Knowle.
There are many things to do in the arden, whether you’re looking for a great place to take a stroll, want to explore the history of the area, or just wish to have fun with friends and family. Check out our Gilds to find a group that suits your interests!
Bridge, Writers, Ardensingers and more – the Gilds are a great way to get involved in your community. The Gilds are free to join and all members can be found on the “Gilds” menu at the top of the website.
If you’re not sure how to get started, just give John a call and he can help you with the process. You can also fill out our Pledge Form to make a pledge that you support the work of the Gilds!
We’re currently in the process of preparing a sustainable communities and complete streets plan for the west Arden Arcade area. We invite anyone who lives, works, plays, or travels through the western Arden Arcade area to join us in making this the best neighborhood it can be!
During the planning phase, we will be working with our local neighborhoods, businesses, community organizations and people who live and work in the west Arden Arcade area to create a vision for how our streets can be safer, more enjoyable, and more inclusive for all. This vision will be used to create a final Re-Envision West Arden Arcade plan that can be used when seeking future funding and during the planning process for road and other neighborhood improvements.
The arden was a major source of income for the medieval court. Lords were encouraged to settle the arden by offering burgage tenure (free rents) in order to attract settlers. This was a common practice in the eleventh century and into the fourteenth century.
There were a number of royal forests subject to forest law in the arden, most notably Sutton Park and Feckenham Forest. These forests were much smaller and more manageable than the arden, but still served a vital role in the development of the kingdom.