On the outskirts of Aylesbury, the Hartwell Estate covers 1,800 acres and includes the magnificent Hartwell House, which is leased to the National Trust and operated as a luxury hotel.

Being so close to an expanding town, it exemplifies the pressures felt by so much of lowland Britain.

The remarkable 17th century oriel window
and entrance to Hartwell House

The south facade of Hartwell House

The people need homes and the town needs to grow, but the countryside and its historic jewels need to be preserved. The Trust is pioneering ways to do both.

The farms are mixed, with dairy and beef farming and arable crops. To the west of Hartwell, near Brill, lies the Boarstall Estate, consisting of a single, large mixed farm and a block of woodland — Boarstall Wood — noted for its richness in butterfly species.

To the North of the Hartwell Estate, and adjacent to the urban growth of Aylesbury, lies Fairford Leys —- a new housing development to cater for today's needs.