The arden is a place where people can get away from the demands of modern life and find respite from the pressures of work, family and social obligations. It is also where people can experience the joy of the outdoors and learn about nature’s bounty of wildlife, plants, and landscapes. The arden offers opportunities to enjoy the company of friends, and to participate in a variety of arts, recreation and sporting activities, such as golf, hiking, birding, fishing, gardening, and picnicking.
Founded in 1900, the Village of Arden was founded as a Single Tax community based on the economic philosophy of Henry George, the arts and crafts movement of William Morris, and the garden city movement of Ebenezer Howard. The Village is now a Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Arden’s sandstone is distinctive because of its calcareous content. The sandstone is a Triassic white heterolithic material that is quarried from the area. It is used in local buildings and carved by artisans to create statues, fountains, and carvings. The sandstone takes on a reddish hue as it weathers.
The arden was named after the Forest of Arden in England, which had been a royal forest, subject to strict court law. The forest was largely enclosed by the time of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, and by 1758, there was little left of the original forest. Among the remnants was the hermitage of Sir Guy of Warwick at Guy’s Cliffe.