Chorleywood House Estate -
DOWNLOADOpen all year round with free entry and parking, this magnificent and tranquil Country Wildlife Site spreads over 68 hectares of formal parkland and important grassland, open meadows and mature woodland leading down to the banks of the River Chess.
Formal gardens and lawns, flowerbeds and speciality trees surround the 200 year old Manor House and Summer House.
The network of woodlands includes ancient and secondary woodland. There are protected species on the site, such as numerous colonies of Coralroot Bittercress (its main area in Hertfordshire).
The ground flora supports ancient woodland indicators. The grassland areas are composed of semi-improved neutral to acid grassland with chalk grassland in Chorleywood Dell which is recognised as a key neutral grassland site in the Biodiversity Action Plan for Hertfordshire.
Chorleywood House Estate Grounds include many interesting buildings that reflect the history of Chorleywood with fine examples of timber construction that have recently been renovated.
The Summerhouse situated close to the main house was formerly a nursery and is now used by the Chorleywood House Estate Community Partnership. There is a Well House, Old Chapel and Drill Hall that are important buildings worthy of conservation and are generally in good order.
The
Chorleywood House Estate Partnership is a group of volunteers who work and support the estate and Three Rivers District Council. The group formed in1998 and their website has lots of useful information on the history of the grounds, their continual hard work and how you can join them.
Other groups who use Chorleywood House Estate grounds include a Montessori School, model railway club, scouts, a football club and both a private tennis club
www.chorleywoodtennis.co.uk and public tennis courts.
Three contrasting circular walks take you around the grounds. The
Park Walk (1km) is a gentle stroll back in time taking you around the formal gardens, lawns and specimen trees, the Wisteria Circle which is a vision of beauty when flowering in May and the restored Sunken Garden.
If it’s seclusion and tranquillity with picturesque views over the Chilterns then the
Wood Walk (1.2km) is ideal. Oak, cherry, beech and ash trees branch and tunnel over the path creating a canopy over head whilst bluebells, wood anemone and wild daffodils cover the ground during spring.
A popular picnicking area on the banks of the River Chess awaits those who take on the
Valley Walk 
(1.5km). Not a particularly strenuous walk but the paths are steeper than the previous two. Brown trout, water voles and kingfishers are just some of the wildlife supported by the chalk stream.