A new chapter for Chiltern Rangers

For more than a decade, the Chiltern Rangers depot has been the base for everything we do: meeting partner organisations, storing tools and equipment, welcoming volunteers and training the next generation of conservationists. But our current site is no longer fit for the scale of our work.  We’re turning this challenge into an opportunity.

A space to welcome many

The Barns is our proposed new headquarters and community hub in High Wycombe, built to match the growing demand for our work and to bring people and organisations together for nature.  Together, this will give us the space to welcome more volunteers, support more young people and manage a growing network of sites across the Chilterns.

This isn’t just a relocation for Chiltern Rangers, it’s a catalyst for community collaboration – the aim is to create a place where a school group, a corporate volunteer team and a local conservation organisation are all working side by side, at the same time.

The Barns is set to be built at Abbey Barn Park, just three miles from our current depot, keeping us rooted in the community we already serve.  Phase 1 will see the development of our new headquarters and depot. This will include our new office, meeting and training space for our team, alongside a secure compound for vehicles, tools and machinery.

Following this, work will begin on our shared community hub. We want to create a flexible space for like-minded organisations to work alongside us, supporting training, events and volunteering.  And finally we want to create a community garden. This will comprise of allotments and an orchard, giving residents and schools the chance to grow, learn and connect with nature on their doorstep.

Sustainability at the heart of The Barns

The site will support our ambition to reach Net Zero across our operations, including the infrastructure to store and charge a growing fleet of electric tools and equipment. The development itself will be nature-positive, with mixed native hedgerows and trees, pollinator-rich habitats, a pond and bog garden, and swift, bird and bat boxes and bee bricks built into the design. We'll also be collecting and storing rainwater for irrigation and toilet flushing.

If you have any questions, please email thebarns@chilternrangers.co.uk

If you would like to keep up to date with what's happening, please check out the Chiltern Rangers website.