Chorleywood House Estate

Chorleywood House Estate general information leaflet (830 KB) - DOWNLOAD

CWHE Management Plan 2011 (4381 KB) - DOWNLOAD

In July 2009 Chorleywood House Estate became an award winning open space when it received a Green Flag award. Find out why judges rate this reserve as such a special place .

Potential Cattle Grazing at Chorleywood House Estate

Three Rivers District Council and the Countryside Management Service are investigating the potential of introducing cattle to Field J of Chorleywood House Estate for around four months of the year.  There would be approximately 18 cows.  To find out more about the proposals have a look at the documents below.

Grazing Information  DOWNLOAD

Frequently Asked Questions Grazing  DOWNLOAD

Location Map of Field J  DOWNLOAD

CHORLEYWOOD HOUSE ESTATE

Open 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 Friends of Chorleywood House Estate are 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.





A small group of fruit enthusiasts have recenlty launched an exciting new local project – a community orchard. With support from Three Rivers District Council, the Countryside Management Service and Friends of Chorleywood House Estate, the orchard is being created in the grounds of Chorleywood House close to the Lawn Cemetery. The orchard will benefit local people, visitors and wildlife and over several years will be planted with around 100 trees, a mix of apples, plums, cherries and pears.
Find out more on the Chorleywood Community Orchard.

Yoga on the lawn

Free yoga sessions were held during the summer for adults and children at Chorleywood House Estate, which proved very popular.

The organisers chose the estate because of its beautiful settings and following feedback from residents it proved the right choice!

"Many thanks for a fabulous class today.  I am a relatively new convert to yoga, only starting about a year ago and this is the first time I have been to an outdoor class.  I loved it.  It was wonderful to be outside in the sunshine and fresh air.  I will definitely be coming to as many sessions as I can."

"I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for the pleasure and benefit of the Class on the Grass, yoga sessions held in Chorleywood House estate.  The experience is all the more gratifying and meaningful to me being able to practice in the beautiful outdoors, connecting with our earth.
This is the first time I have had the chance to see the glorious estate and my young family are planning a bike ride around the estate in the next coming weeks."

If you would like more information you can visit Yogatree or call 07528 122 281.


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 (0.62 miles/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 (0.75 miles/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 (0.93 miles/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.