Press & Media Enquiries
All of our Chilterns Conservation Board news, position statements and press releases can be found via this page, plus downloadable logos, images, and Chilterns AONB facts and figures. For further quotes or interviews, you’ll find contact details below.
About the Chilterns AONB
The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers 833 square kilometres across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The many rare species and habitats, rolling chalk hills, magnificent beechwoods and wildflower-rich hills are just some of the special features of the Chilterns, which are enjoyed by local people and visitors alike.
There are few landscapes which could claim to have as much recreational opportunity as the Chilterns, the extensive network of well-signposted footpaths and bridleways make it easy to explore the area by foot or bicycle. There are also lots of countryside sites where you can relax, enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, or take a walk. With 1.6 million people living within 8km and ten million people living within an hour, the Chilterns is one of the most accessible protected landscapes in Europe.
Latest press releases and publications
Chiltern Conservation Board’s statement on the Little Missenden sink hole above the HS2 tunnelling operations
The Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB) is alarmed by reports that a 6m wide and 5m deep sinkhole appeared above the...
Introducing our new Head of Operations, Andy Brock-Doyle
We’re pleased that Andy Brock-Doyle has started as our new Head of Operations. Andy will be supporting us to be...
National Trust, WWF and RSPB send urgent SOS for nature as Sir David Attenborough says ‘we must act now’ to Save Our Wild Isles
Today (13 March), in their first major campaign together, the National Trust, the RSPB and WWF are urging everyone in...
Map, video and images
The assets below can be downloaded for use in press and media and any publications relating to the Chilterns AONB. Please ensure that you credit the copyrights mentioned in the image title. Do contact us if you’d like a higher resolution version of any of the images or alternative map views.
Aerial footage of the Chilterns AONB
Click below to view aerial footage of the Chilterns countryside on YouTube, Credit: Hedley Thorne.
Image gallery
Filming in the Chilterns
From gorgeous chalk grassland meadows teaming with butterflies and wildflowers to rolling hills; historic pubs to stately homes; and ancient woodlands to villages, the Chilterns has some fantastic film locations. In fact Buckinghamshire is the most filmed county in England.
The Chilterns AONB doesn’t own any land, so you will need to obtain permission for filming from the landowners of your chosen location or the town or parish councils.
Browse the Market Towns section of this website, as many pages have a list of renowned Film and TV locations.
Outstanding Chilterns Magazine
Outstanding Chilterns is our annual magazine. Read conservation and wildlife stories, interviews, project updates, volunteering opportunities, inclusive countryside news and keep up with Chilterns experiences and events.
Read it online below or contact us if you’d like a hard copy.
Using our Chilterns AONB Logos
You can download the Chilterns AONB logos below.
Logo Use Guidance:
- These Chilterns AONB logos represent the area, and can be used on the cover of any publication whose contents relate to the AONB and issues within it.
- Please use them for publications and presentations about partnership work with us. E.g. on publicity for your event in the Chilterns Walking Festival.
- They should be placed at the bottom of the page in a white strip so that they stand out clearly, and there should be no text printed beneath the logo. On interpretation boards it may be more convenient to use them near the top, underneath the main title.
- Contact our communications team if you require any further guidance about using the logos.
Map of the Chilterns AONB
Click below to download a simple map of the Chilterns AONB boundary, which also highlights major towns nearby.
Please contact us if you have a specific map requirement.
Download
Chilterns AONB map
Our Management Plan
The Chilterns AONB Management Plan 2019-2024 contains a comprehensive summary of the key issues facing the AONB and the management policies and actions needed to conserve this special place. The involvement of a wide range of organisations is essential in achieving the Plan’s aims over the next five years.
The Chilterns AONB in Facts and Figures
Here’s a snapshot of the Chilterns AONB in numbers and facts.
Population and Tourism
- 80,000 people live in the Chilterns AONB.
- 50,000 people live within 5 miles.
- 10 million people live within an hour’s drive.
- Leisure visits to the Chilterns AONB generate around £500 million per annum to the local economy.
Distances and Heights
- The Chilterns AONB covers 839 sq kms (324 sq miles) across 4 counties (c84,000 ha).
- The centre of the Chilterns is only 35 miles from Trafalgar Square, London.
- The highest point in the Chilterns is 267 metres above sea level (876 feet) at Haddington Hill near Wendover in Bucks.
- The AONB straddles 13 local authorities (3 County Councils, 2 Unitary Authorities, 8 District and Borough Councils).
- The Chilterns AONB has 2,000 kms (1,200 miles) of rights of way.
- 2 national trails (Thames Path and The Ridgeway).
- The Chilterns is the only AONB accessible via a London Underground line.
Nature and Wildlife
The Chilterns has:
- c700 hectares of chalk grassland. Up to 40 different species per square metre.
- 64 SSSi*s wholly or partly within the AONB.
- 21% woodland cover, 3 times the national average for England.
- 60% of all woodland in the Chilterns is ancient woodland.
- 9 rare chalk streams
- England’s largest population of red kites.
*Site of Special Scientific Interest
History
- The Chiltern Hills have been protected as an AONB since 1965.
- The chalk in the Chilterns used to be at the bottom of the sea – it was formed between 70 and 95 million years ago from the shells of tiny sea creatures.
- The name “Chiltern” comes from the Cilternsæte, a tribe that occupied the area in the early Anglo-Saxon period.
- There are 22 known hillforts across the Chilterns.
- Britain’s oldest route, the Icknield Way, runs along the northern edge of the Chilterns.
Cholesbury Hillfort
Famous People
- Famous Chilterns’ residents past and present include William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania), Roald Dahl (author), George Harrison and Ozzy Osbourne (musicians).
- The Aston Martin car was named after the hill climb at Aston Hill, near Wendover.
- John Milton completed Paradise Lost in his cottage in Chalfont St Giles.
Roald Dahl Museum
What makes the Chilterns special?
The Chilterns’ special qualities are considered so significant, nationally and internationally, that they require protection.
- Read more in our attached PDF.
- Plus download our full facts and figures infographic below.
Email newsletter
For Chilterns Conservation Board project news, conservation updates, boundary review news, events, job vacancies and more, sign up to our email newsletter below.
Further press and media enquiries
For any further press and media enquiries please contact our Communications Officer, Vicki Pearce on
Tel: 01844 355521
Email: vpearce@chilternsaonb.org
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