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In January 2008 Buckinghamshire County Council took the decision to set up a Conservation Trust to look after and open up the Medieval Village and Tudor Garden site at Quarrendon, to the north of the River Thame on the northern fringe of Aylesbury. The site contains a large ancient monument comprising earthworks of a medieval settlement with the ruined remains of a church, Tudor water gardens, remains of Sir Henry Lee’s mansion, and rabbit warrens.  These can be seen from a footpath which crosses the site from the A41.  There are also attractive water meadows and hedgerows with rare black poplar pollards and a wealth of other wildlife.

This Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) is of national importance and its protection and enhancement will add to the cultural and green spaces offer which Aylesbury as an historical and expanding county town will provide for the new residents expected as part of Aylesbury’s expansion within the growth agenda.

The site of 205 acres, now called Quarrendon Leas, is placed between the planned housing major development sites of Berryfields (A41) and Weedon Hill (A413) where more than 3000 new homes are to be built. Weedon Hill welcomed its first new residents in 2008.

The first phase in the management involved access and conservation works, surveys for ecology, land contamination, a health and safety overview, geotechnical investigations and a laying of a path to link the Berryfields housing development to the moat. This first phase was made possible by the receipt of a Growth Area Fund from (the department of) Communities and Local Government.

The article ‘A new life for an ancient monument’ (117Kb) explains the rationale behind the establishment for Conservation Trust which will be working with the developers and other partners in the local councils, government agencies and voluntary sector to not just to look after Quarrendon Leas but to make it an easily accessible ‘green lung’ for the whole town.