The arden combines three villages and their surrounding land: Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft. The Village of Arden was founded in 1900 as a Single Tax community based on economic philosophy and the “garden city” principles of Ebenezer Howard and the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris. It is a Tree City USA with a 73% tree canopy and is noted for its theater, crafts, music and arts, as well as an excellent craft shop museum, all of which contribute to the close-knit character of the village.
Located near the geographic center of England, the area was once thickly forested and known as the Forest of Arden. Arden Way, a UK National Trail, traces old paths and routes including the Roman roads Icknield Street, Watling Street and the Fosse Way and a prehistoric salt track from Droitwich. The Arden name is also associated with the distinctive Triassic white heterolithic sandstone quarried in the region.
We are surrounded by woodlands, including Sherwood Forest and Sunnyside Tract, which abound with wildflowers and birds. Volunteers maintain their natural beauty by participating in annual woods cleanups and ivy “pulls,” and by promoting preservation of the trees, soil and wildlife through stewardship programs. For more information on the forests in the Village of Arden, please visit the arden Forest Committee page on this website or the public Facebook page, Forests of the Ardens.