Dahlias on Brill Allotments
BRIll Environment & amenities
Common Land & Open Spaces
We are very proud of our extensive common land, which includes Brill Common (home to the famous Brill Windmill), The Square, and outlying strips of land. Care for this land would not be possible without the help of our volunteers, including the Common Volunteers; and the Friends of Brill Common. Find our more about the management of Brill Common.
The Walks are owned by the Parish Council. This area isn’t common land; it’s a registered Village Green, open for all to enjoy. Please look out for sheep grazing, particularly in the Spring. We have another Village Green near the church (home to the seasonal Brill Community Market) and this, too, is carefully managed.
We are lucky to have Brill Common and we love sharing it with visitors; families and wedding parties, orienteers and photographers, cyclists and walkers, kite flyers and tobogganists; we welcome you all and thank you for visiting. Please follow the Countryside Code (especially regards litter; we don’t want to spoil the view with larger litter bins) and, please, no drone flying without permission of the Parish Council.
Brill Windmill from South Hills, perhaps the quietest part of Brill Common.
Requests & Permissions
Parishioners need permission from the Parish Council for events and other activities that may impact public spaces. This includes car parking, building and other works, including the temporary siting of skips or scaffolding. Read more about this and how to apply - and please do so well in advance.
One of the Dexters (photo Victoria Timms, 2018)
Brill Village Community Herd
The herd of Dexter cattle that graze Brill Common is managed by the Brill Village Community Herd (BVCH). The cattle are moved from area to area throughout the year, in order to help maintain the condition of the grazing land and ensure they get all the best grass, as well as improving biodiversity. If you’d like to know more about this unique project, please visit the BVCH website. Please keep dogs under control near the cattle and do not feed them (they have plenty of grass and hay in Winter) - and watch out for the electric fences.
The Brill Community Herd are proud holders of the The KIng’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) awarded in 2023. Equivalent to an MBE, the KAVS is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The Allotments
Brill Allotments are tucked away in the bend behind Church Street and The Square; access is through the gate on the corner of Church Street. The allotments are managed by the Alice Carter Charity and the rents used to make annual donations to elderly people in the parishes of Brill, Oakley, Honeyburge, and Boarstall. Find out more and then, if you’d like to apply for a plot, email the secretary.
brill environment group (BEG) and Brill Climate Action GrouP (BCAG)
Wildflowers and grasses along one of the tracks crossing Brill Common
BEG is a long-standing Brill group whose remit has gradually evolved to concentrate on educational and advisory activities, including raising awareness on environmental issues and co-ordinating appropriate responses.
BCAG is a more recent group convened in late 2021 by Cllr Emi Slater, committed to making Brill a greener and more sustainable place in which to live. The group is action-focused and members makes regular contributions to the Bernwode News offering effective and do-able ideas for ordinary housekeepers and gardeners; read Committed to Change : Try Just One Thing.
Find out about other environmental services and resources in Brill and nearby. Read reports from the Brill Energy Event held in February 2024.
Dog walker and warning notice (NFU website)
Brill Dogs
Brill is Dog Heaven! Wide-open spaces, two dog-friendly pubs, and lots of dog-lovers. But heaven for us and our dogs can be hell for livestock and wildlife - or a stinking mess on a child’s sandal. Be considerate when walking, be conscientious about picking up dog poo - and, once in a while, put ourselves in the farmer’s boots. Read this section of the National Sheep Association website to find out how to be a responsible dog owner and walker. This poster reinforces the message and adds some advice on walking near cattle.
And USE THOSE DOG POO BINS! There are EIGHT in and around the village so you’re never too far from one!
Waste, Recycling, & environmental issues
Waste & recycling collection services are provided by Buckinghamshire Council (Aylesbury Vale Area). Read about Brill bin collections and other services, and find out how to report environmental issues (such as fly-tipping) to the right people.