The Ashridge Estate, Hemel Hempstead

One of the most famous landmarks in the Hemel Hempstead area is Ashridge House which is part of the Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, about 6 miles north of Hemel Hempstead and twenty miles north west of London.

The estate has been designated a place of outstanding natural beauty and even a fleeting visit would confirm that status. The estate has been owned by the National Trust since 1921 and is made up of mainly deciduous woodlands (known as Ashridge Forest), rolling commons and chalk downland which supports a rich variety of wildlife, birds and mammals, including a large herd of deer which can be seen wandering around the estate and woodlands most of the year. Take care when driving in the area as many deer just wander onto the roads and there are numerous car/deer collisions every year. The estate is a walker's paradise with many and varied walks marked out throughout the area. The walks are not of a strenuous nature and range from a couple of miles to as far as you want to go, within reason. It is a very popular walking area for dog lovers.

Ashridge has become famous worldwide due to the success of its popular management college of which more of below. The college used to be known as Ashridge Priory and has a history going back beyond Henry 8^th.

The Egerton Family

From 1604 to 1848 the estate was the property of the Dukes and Earls of Bridgewater (the Egerton family). The Bridgewater Monument is a tower on the Ashridge estate, built in 1832 in memory of Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, "the father of inland navigation". It is 108 feet (33 m) tall, with 170 steps inside, designed by Sir Jeffry Wyattville in a Doric style. It overlooks, and affords magnificent views of, the village of Aldbury and the Grand Union Canal.

It was built about a mile away from Ashridge House as his mother wanted, "not to see or be reminded of my infernal son!"

In 1848 the estate passed to the Earls Brownlow, another branch of the Egerton family, and then in 1921 it was split, with the land passing to the National Trust, while the house and garden was acquired by speculators. In 1928 Urban Hanlon Broughton purchased the house as a gift for the Conservative Party intended to commemorate Andrew Bonar Law.

Ashridge Business School

In 1959 Ashridge College was launched to provide management training, and is now Ashridge Business School and has acquired a well deserved reputation for management excellence. In fact it is regularly voted amongst the world's top business schools by the Financial Times.

Its gardens are particularly splendid and once or twice a year are open to the public for viewing and well worth a visit. See the Ashridge website for details of dates and times.

If you are visiting Hemel Hempstead you would be well advised to take a couple of hours out of your schedule and take a quick trip out to the magnificent Ashridge Estate.