Cleeve Common Trust

Cleeve Common is a nationally important resource. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, habitats and botany and it contains a wealth of archaeological interest, including three Scheduled Monuments. The Common and its surroundings lie within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Cleeve is Gloucestershire’s largest common, with an area of over 400 hectares (1000 acres). It is a haven for plants, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals that thrive on the agriculturally unimproved limestone grassland, a habitat that has dwindled alarmingly in recent decades. Prior to 1935, such grassland accounted for over 40% of the Cotswolds: today the figure is only 1.5%. Cleeve Common therefore represents a major stronghold for this threatened habitat.

Responsibility for managing Cleeve Common lies with the Board of Conservators. While many commons today are managed by Commons Councils set up following the Commons Act of 2006, the Cleeve Common Board has a much older pedigree. It has been in existence since 1890 when it was set up by its very own Act of Parliament, the Commons Regulation (Cleeve) Provisional Order Confirmation Act. The Board has wide-ranging powers to make Bylaws and regulate what activities may take place on the Common. We seek to promote best use of the Common today while ensuring it is looked after for future generations to benefit from and enjoy. More about our management aims.

The Board is a Registered Charity.