Ashridge Estate - National Trust

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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 with 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.

Thank you to everyone who came to visit Pitstone Windmill this year! If you made the trip to see this special piece of h...
01/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to visit Pitstone Windmill this year!

If you made the trip to see this special piece of history, we hope that you enjoyed your visit, and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.

This unique landmark will be back in action next year for its very special anniversary year... 👀

Although we're not offering guided tours again until Spring 2027, it is still possible to visit Pitstone Windmill to look around the outside!

Visit our website for more info: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/pitstone-windmill

Spotted at Ashridge 😍Image credit: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust Images
30/10/2026

Spotted at Ashridge 😍

Image credit: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust Images

22/10/2026

Parking update for Ashridge Estate (as of 22nd October 2026)

Our general manager is here to update visitors on the parking arrangements across the estate.

The main news is that the temporary car park on Meadley's Meadow is now closed until Spring 2027. This is because we have reached the limit of days that we can use this land for parking, as per our planning regulations.

Parking will be available as usual at the visitor centre, Barracks Square, and along the south verge of Monument Drive.

If you visit over the coming months and the Estate is busy, please don't park on the roadside or grass verges, to avoid causing an obstruction and to protect the important habitats in these areas.

If you struggle to find parking, we suggest an alternative trip to Dunstable Downs. There's a large car park, and visitors can enjoy a stunning landscape that makes for a fun day out for the whole family!

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any comments or questions, please send us a message or email at [email protected]

Update for visitors on Sat 17 & Sun 18 OctWe're expecting Ashridge Estate to be very busy this weekend, so there will be...
16/10/2026

Update for visitors on Sat 17 & Sun 18 Oct

We're expecting Ashridge Estate to be very busy this weekend, so there will be limited parking available.

If you're planning on visiting the Estate, we advise arriving outside of peak hours and leaving extra time in case you need to find alternative parking.

Thank you for your understanding.

Image credit: Chris Lacey / National Trust Images

Join our team!We're hiring a Food & Beverage Assistant Manager for the cafe at Ashridge Estate. This is a permanent full...
13/10/2026

Join our team!

We're hiring a Food & Beverage Assistant Manager for the cafe at Ashridge Estate. This is a permanent full-time role (37.5 hours per week) that includes weekend work, with winter hours being 8:30am - 4:30pm and summer hours of 9:30am - 5:30pm.

We’d love to hear from you if you’re used to achieving outstanding customer service in a similar environment, are a good leader of people, and have a friendly attitude and great communication skills.

Applications close on Sun 18th Oct. Click the following link to apply: https://www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk/

Job code: IRC180306
Image credit: Rob Coleman / National Trust Images

Seen at Ashridge this weekend 👀Our Protecting Our Roots team hosted a pop-up on the Green last weekend, talking with vis...
07/10/2026

Seen at Ashridge this weekend 👀

Our Protecting Our Roots team hosted a pop-up on the Green last weekend, talking with visitors about foraging and why it's not allowed across the Estate.

We take this position because Ashridge is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and because fungi and other plants are ecologically important to the Estate's overall biodiversity.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email us at [email protected], or send us a direct message on our social channels.

Image credit: National Trust

There's nothing quite like Autumn at Ashridge 😍🍂Image credit: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust
03/10/2026

There's nothing quite like Autumn at Ashridge 😍🍂

Image credit: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust

Have you ever considered helping to look after Ashridge Estate?If the answer's yes, why not volunteer with us!We have lo...
30/09/2026

Have you ever considered helping to look after Ashridge Estate?

If the answer's yes, why not volunteer with us!

We have lots of volunteering opportunities, including Visitor Experience and Shop Assistant roles. (Retail shifts are available on Thursday AM, Friday AM, Saturday AM and PM, and Sunday PM.)

If you're interested in learning more, visit our website here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/essex-bedfordshire-hertfordshire/ashridge-estate/volunteering-at-ashridge-estate

Image credit: John Millar / National Trust Images

The Autumn range has arrived in our shop 🍂We're getting very excited for the change of season, and this lovely display g...
18/09/2026

The Autumn range has arrived in our shop 🍂

We're getting very excited for the change of season, and this lovely display gives a hint of what we can expect over the coming months!

Visit the National Trust online store to view more products: https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/ 🛍

Image credit: National Trust

This Friday (18th Sep) is the final day of the year to look inside Pitstone Windmill before it's closed up for the colde...
13/09/2026

This Friday (18th Sep) is the final day of the year to look inside Pitstone Windmill before it's closed up for the colder months ahead!

The 2026 season has flown by, and we've really enjoyed welcoming visitors over the summer 🌞

If you haven't visited yet, or would like another tour, we still have bookings available for our final day of the year. The 30-minute slots for guided tours on Fri 18th Sep run from 12pm - 4pm.

To learn more about booking your visit, click the following link: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/pitstone-windmill

Image credit: Stephen Hewitt / National Trust

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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