Ashridge Estate - National Trust

Ashridge Estate - National Trust Ashridge Estate is 5,000 acres of the Chilterns Hills owned by the National Trust. The estate has beech and oak woodlands, commons and chalk downlands.

Our very different landscapes each support a rich variety of wildlife, including carpets of bluebells in spring, rare butterflies in summer and the fallow deer rut in autumn. The best way to explore the Ashridge Estate is on foot or by bike. Miles of footpaths and bridleways give you plenty of space to explore, and if you drop into the visitor centre we’ll be happy to share our favourite routes wi

th you. We also have mobility scooters if you don’t want to explore under your own steam. Join us on Twitter

House Rules

We want our page to be a place where people can share how they feel about the National Trust and talk about their experiences in a fun environment. We welcome feedback – both positive and negative. It helps us to learn and grow. These house rules aim to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves while they’re here:

We ask you to be nice and polite to one another – you almost always are! - and respect each other’s views and comments. We ask all users to ensure your contributions are civil, polite, tasteful and suitable for all ages. We won't tolerate disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour, unlawful or objectionable content. This includes any material which might be defamatory, offensive, infringing, obscene, lewd, pornographic, violent, abusive, insulting, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, blasphemous, indecent or otherwise unlawful or objectionable. It also includes any material which is aggressive, argumentative or likely to be construed as bullying, and it includes spamming or repetition - in particular the posting of off-topic material in subject-specific threads or areas.

*Moderation policy*
In general, we don’t moderate posts, except on the rare occasions - for example where someone has posted offensive, threatening or libellous content about named or identifiable individuals on our page. We have a duty to protect our staff and volunteers, so while deleting comments is totally out of character for us, our position is that any post containing a libellous accusations, should be removed. We’ll also remove any posts that in any way target individual teams or members of staff. We will not comment on our staff and volunteers in this way in public forums. If any correspondent has feedback to share about any individual members of staff or teams in the organisation, please get in touch with us directly. If an individual continues to post offensive, threatening or libellous content then we’ll be forced to block that person from the page. Similarly, if any individual repeatedly posts contributions of the nature noted above in the 'material' list, we'll again be forced to block that individual from the page (in this scenario, we will have previously warned the individual about their content). We won’t tolerate postings, content, or links that are racist, sexist or homophobic. We also don’t permit linking to or posting any content which endorses illegal activity, or any activities against the values of the National Trust. If you’re concerned that a posting or user content has broken any of our house rules or you’re worried about any comment or content then please send us an email to [email protected] and let us know. Finally, please note that the views on our page are created by our community and don’t necessarily represent the views or opinions of National Trust.

Zooming in on Ashridge 🔍Summer is coming to an end, but we continue to enjoy viewing a variety of wildlife across the Es...
03/09/2026

Zooming in on Ashridge 🔍

Summer is coming to an end, but we continue to enjoy viewing a variety of wildlife across the Estate!

Take a look through these photos that were taken recently 😍

📸 Image copyright: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust

Do you have any plans for the upcoming Bank Holiday?We're opening Pitstone Windmill for an extra day of bookings on Mon ...
21/08/2026

Do you have any plans for the upcoming Bank Holiday?

We're opening Pitstone Windmill for an extra day of bookings on Mon 31st Aug 🙌

There are only 4 weeks left this summer to travel back in time and go on a tour of the inside of this historic windmill, so don't miss out!

Bookings are available here: https://bit.ly/4cXnXmg 🔗

While you're here, our friends at Pitstone Green Museum will also be open. Learn more about them here: https://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/

Image credit: Stephen Hewitt/National Trust

Today is World Photography Day 📸To celebrate, we thought we'd share some of our favourite photos of Ashridge Estate over...
19/08/2026

Today is World Photography Day 📸

To celebrate, we thought we'd share some of our favourite photos of Ashridge Estate over the years, so take a look through and let us know your favourite.

Image descriptions and credits:
1 - Bridgewater Monument at night, with trees in silhouette and stars in the sky above (Stephen Hewitt / National Trust)
2 - Woodland paths at Ashridge Estate (Justin Minns / National Trust)
3 - Ivinghoe Beacon on Ashridge Estate (Hugh Mothersole / National Trust)
4 - Visitors exploring in buggies at Ashridge Estate (John Miller / National Trust)
5 - Looking across the landscape at Ashridge Estate (John Miller / National Trust)
6 - Mycena on a tree stump at Ashridge Estate (Rob Coleman / National Trust)
7 - Golden Valley in autumn at Ashridge Estate (Hugh Mothersole / National Trust)
8 - Bluebell woodland in April on the Ashridge Estate (James Dobson / National Trust)

14/08/2026

Visitor notice from our General Manager.

As of August 15th 2026, there will be some changes to the parking options available here at Ashridge Estate.

Following requirements identified by Hertfordshire County Council and other statutory bodies, parking will no longer be available along the north verge of Monument Drive (the right hand side as you drive towards the monument).

No other parking in the Estate is affected, and during the busiest weekends we’ll have temporary parking available in Meadley’s Meadow.

To learn more about this change, watch this video, or visit our website using the link below:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/essex-bedfordshire-hertfordshire/ashridge-estate/monument-drive-parking-update

Help us protect Ashridge Estate 🌳Due to the high temperatures forecasted today (13th August), there is an Extreme Fire R...
13/08/2026

Help us protect Ashridge Estate 🌳

Due to the high temperatures forecasted today (13th August), there is an Extreme Fire Risk. Even though it's due to be a few degrees cooler from tomorrow, we'll still have a High Fire Risk due to the prolonged dry conditions.

To help us protect the Estate, please avoid lighting any fires or using BBQs across the Estate. We're also asking our visitors to refrain from smoking while the wildfire risk remains high.

If you see smoke or anything that suggests a fire or BBQ has been used, please let a member of our team know and contact emergency services.

Thank you for helping to protect this special place.

Take a look at this majestic Red Kite flying over Ashridge 😍You probably already know that this unmistakable bird of pre...
26/07/2026

Take a look at this majestic Red Kite flying over Ashridge 😍

You probably already know that this unmistakable bird of prey was saved from national extinction thanks to one of the world's longest-running protection programmes.

Red Kites are commonly spotted here at Ashridge Estate, partially because they nest in woodlands and like to line their nests with wool, grass and twigs, which makes Ashridge the perfect spot!

📸 Photo credit: Rob Coleman / National Trust Images

Do you have any children's books that you can donate?If the answer's yes, please consider donating them to the second-ha...
22/07/2026

Do you have any children's books that you can donate?

If the answer's yes, please consider donating them to the second-hand book shop here at Ashridge Estate 📚

Now that we're in the summer holidays, we'd particularly appreciate donations for books suitable for younger children.

Any money raised from book sales goes towards caring for Ashridge Estate, so thank you in advance for any donations you can make!

Image description: collection of children's books in our second-hand bookshop (image by NT photographer)

Today is Don't Step on a Bee Day 🐝Whilst we agree with the sentiment behind the name, this day is about more than just p...
10/07/2026

Today is Don't Step on a Bee Day 🐝

Whilst we agree with the sentiment behind the name, this day is about more than just perils for barefoot walkers! It's an opportunity for us all to focus on how we can aid in the conservation of bees and how important they are to us all.

Bees pollinate roughly one-third of the crops we consume, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and they contribute significantly to biodiversity. Here at Ashridge, there's a wide variety of wildflowers that attracts bees, including this buzzy friend pictured here at the Estate!

Image credit: National Trust Images / Maria Nerdrum

The sun has been beating down on the Bridgewater Monument recently ☀With the drier, hotter summers we are experiencing, ...
08/07/2026

The sun has been beating down on the Bridgewater Monument recently ☀

With the drier, hotter summers we are experiencing, the risk of serious fire at Ashridge Estate increases. To protect the ancient woodland and its wildlife, BBQs are not permitted anywhere on the estate.

If you are bringing a picnic, please remember to take all rubbish home with you. Litter left in the landscape not only presents a danger to wildlife but also creates a fire risk, particularly during hot weather.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to care for this special place.

Address

Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre
Berkhamsted
HP41LT

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+44 1442 851227

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