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Ashridge Estate - Protecting Our Roots

A view of Monument Drive from the top of the Bridgewater Monument at Ashridge Estate
A view of Monument Drive at Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire | © National Trust / Chris Lacey

Ashridge Estate is a special place that welcomes hundreds of thousands of people each year, who enjoy spending time in the beautiful, historic landscape.

However, the popularity of the estate is having an impact on this very special landscape that people love so much. In order to safeguard its future we need to make changes to the infrastructure across the estate so we can continue to welcome visitors in a way that allows nature and wildlife to thrive.

April 2025

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Ashridge Estate - Protecting Our Roots (September 2023)

Our General Manager, Paull tells us about some of the challenges facing Ashridge Estate and why action is needed now to secure its future.

Why is Ashridge Estate under threat?

In 2021 it was estimated that 1.7 million people visited Ashridge Estate each year. With more than 30,000 new dwellings planned in the local area over the next 10 years, visitor numbers are expected to rise significantly, placing unprecedented pressure on the estate’s delicate habitats and wildlife.

Monument Drive is where most people start and end their visit to Ashridge. The majority of people come to this area as it is where the only visitor facilities are located, as well as most of the hard-standing and informal grass verge car parking.

However, this area is at the heart of the Special Area of Conservation (SAC), with Monument Drive and the walking routes around it being some of the most vulnerable and highly designated parts of the estate. 

The concentration of car parking and visitors in this one area is causing severe damage to the landscape. The volume of feet, tyres, paws and hooves on the same ground is causing the ancient soil and the special biodiversity within it to become worn away.

Wildflowers and special plants are getting trampled and cannot continue to grow year after year. Birds, insects, butterflies, mammals and other wildlife are losing the vital habitats they need to survive.

The current hard-standing car parks are not big enough to carry the weight of visitors who arrive by car, forcing people to park on the badly eroded grass verges along Monument Drive. This is having a detrimental impact on the soil, ancient trees and special habitats in this part of the Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

An ecological report published by Dacorum Borough Council in 2022 showed that damage was widespread across the estate but also concentrated in a number of areas. Here are some examples:

Vegetation wear at Ashridge Estate
Vegetation wear at Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire | © National Trust / Dave Hornby

Vegetation Wear

Trampling from feet, paws and hooves and friction from bike tyres can damage plants and disturb the ground nesting birds and other wildlife habitats.

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What are we doing to protect the future of Ashridge?

Ashridge Estate is at a pivotal moment in its history and action is needed if we’re to secure its future for generations to come.

The challenges faced at Ashridge Estate are not new. For many years we’ve been exploring ways to help manage the volume of visitors to limit the impact on the estate. However the size, scale and diversity of the landscape along with its ecological and historical significance makes this difficult.

Previous smaller scale projects have focussed mainly on car parking at Monument Drive, but during the Covid pandemic, we saw a significant increase in footfall in all areas of the estate and an acceleration in the rate of impact.

It was clear that a more holistic approach was needed, looking at the whole estate to identify solutions to balance how we can welcome visitors while protecting the landscape in our care.

'Protecting Our Roots'

In September 2023 we held our first public engagement event and introduced 'Protecting Our Roots', our strategic project dedicated to safeguarding the future of Ashridge Estate.

We’re working closely with local authorities, conservation experts and key stakeholders to find solutions to help manage the careful balance of increased visitor numbers with the impact on nature.

We have agreed a number of crucial measures as part of a Mitigation Strategy to help limit future impact to the estate and to help reverse the damage caused by concentrated recreational use over recent years. 

Our long-term vision is to be able to welcome visitors to Ashridge in a way that allows nature and wildlife to thrive. In order to do this we need to make changes to the infrastructure across the estate, allowing visitors to enjoy Ashridge in a new way.

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Ashridge Estate - Protecting Our Roots project update (May 2024)

General Manager, Paul, and Project Manager, Dave, share the latest update on our plan to protect Ashridge Estate for the future.

New visitor hubs

At the heart of our vision is an ambition to create three new visitor hubs to help move the weight of visitors away from the most sensitive areas of the estate.

We have been working closely with local planning authorities, statutory bodies, conservation experts and other stakeholders to identify the most suitable locations outside the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to bring these new hubs to life.

After extensive research and careful consideration we have identified the following three locations for the visitor hubs:

  • Land at Hill Farm
  • Ward’s Hurst Farm
  • Pitstone Quarry
Map of new visitor hubs at Ashridge Estate
Map of new visitor hubs at Ashridge Estate | © LUC

New visitor hubs map

A map of the proposed new visitor hubs across Ashridge Estate.

 

All the land in the ownership of the National Trust is highly designated for its history and ecology so selecting suitable locations has been difficult.

The land at Hill Farm and Ward’s Hurst Farm are within the Chiltern’s National Landscape (previously Chiltern’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) but have fewer designations compared to the rest of Ashridge Estate. Both sites sit outside the SAC and provide an opportunity to create facilities for visitors travelling from the north and the south.

Proximity and access to the existing road network was also considered when selecting the locations as well having enough space to accommodate the predicted population growth and subsequent increase in visitor numbers.

Pitstone Quarry is a chalk quarry currently under private ownership which adjoins the estate along its north-west boundary. The active quarry is reaching the end of its operational life and there are aspirations to gift it to the National Trust as a restored recreational area.

The new hubs would be carefully designed to fit into the landscape, balance accessibility and visitor experience while protecting against further damage to the special landscape that is loved by so many.

New visitor hub locations

Visitor hub 1

Land at Hill Farm

The proposed hub at Hill Farm will be located on existing arable fields east of Northchurch Common and south of the SAC.

With gently rolling hills, this quiet area of the landscape is rich with hedgerow habitat with pockets of mature woodland which we will build on through new planting.

We will transform the existing arable fields into a diverse mosaic of native woodland, wood pasture, scrub, grassland and wetland, enhancing biodiversity and resilience to climate change.

New visitor facilities will be created including car parking, toilets, café, recreational play space and a flexible education and community space.

New circular walking and cycling routes with a mixture of surface and unsurfaced paths will provide access for all ages and abilities and allow visitors to explore this new part of Ashridge Estate.

This is an illustrative design of what the hub at land at Hill Farm might look like. All designs and plans are subject to planning approval.

High level design of the new visitor hub at Land at Hill Farm, Ashridge Estate
High level design of the new visitor hub at Land at Hill Farm, Ashridge Estate | © LUC

New car parking arrangements at Ashridge Estate

Car parking is one of the biggest challenges faced at Ashridge Estate and we need to make significant changes to allow us to better manage visitors and reduce damage to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Interim car park

We have been working with our partners and stakeholders to develop plans to create a temporary car park on Meadley’s Meadow to move car parking away from Monument Drive.

The grass verges along Monument Drive have traditionally been used for parking, however this area is in the heart of the SAC and a very fragile part of the landscape. The delicate ancient soil and the unique biodiversity within it is becoming eroded putting the ancient trees either side of the drive at risk.

Creating a temporary car park on Meadley’s Meadow is the first step to restoring the grass verges. Meadley’s Meadow is outside of the SAC and is already used at peak periods of the year for overflow parking.

We plan to create a 134 space interim car park to formalise this area and provide suitable parking capacity on the meadow. 75 spaces will be the core car park with an additional 59 overflow spaces for use at peak times. Based on projected visitor demand this should cover 85% of the year.

The temporary car park will be constructed to minimise the impact on the meadow and remain in place until the visitor hubs are created, at which point the temporary car park will be removed and the meadow restored.

The below are illustrative designs of what the interim car park might look like. All designs and plans are subject to planning approval.

High level design of the interim car park on Meadley's Meadow, Ashridge Estate
High level design of the interim car park on Meadley's Meadow, Ashridge Estate | © LUC

Design of the interim car park

A high level design showing the 134 space interim car park on Meadley's Meadow.

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Update: April 2025

The planning application for the interim car park was submitted to Dacorum Borough Council in March 2025 and validated in April 2025. You can review the planning application here.

We hope to have the interim car park in place by the end of 2025.

Parking on the wider estate

Away from Monument Drive, there are 25 smaller informal car parks across the wider estate that have been created over time. Many of these are on the SAC and the delicate and fragile soil in the areas are becoming eroded.

We will continue to monitor car parking across the estate but it is our ambition to close some of these car parks as the new visitor hubs come into operation.

Car parking charges

We will be introducing car park charges at Ashridge Estate and are exploring options on how best to implement the changes as part of the wider car park management strategy.

As a charity we rely on income generated from car parking and other commercial activity to help fund our vital conservation work.

Introducing car parking charges will help generate income to look after this special place and allow us to better manage visitor numbers.

Parking will always be free for National Trust members.

Existing visitor centre area and Monument Drive

Introducing new visitor hubs across the estate will move the weight of visitor pressure away from this special area, making a quieter and restored Monument Drive. However, it will be some time before these hubs are ready to welcome visitors.

In the meantime we have made improvements to the existing visitor centre and have undertaken essential conservation to the Bridgewater Monument.

Visitor centre changes

The existing visitor centre on Monument Drive welcomes thousands of visitors each year. The facilities were in need of targeted investment to bring the building up to standard to ensure we can continue to offer a great visitor experience while the new visitor hubs are being constructed.

From January to March 2025, we made some upgrades to the kitchen and to the staff and volunteer welfare facilities including:

  • Sustainability upgrades: new kitchen equipment to allow us to switch to reusable cutlery and crockery, reducing waste from disposable packaging
  • Comfortable work spaces: essential kitchen and office upgrades to create a more efficient working environment for our staff and volunteers

Conservation of Bridgewater Monument

The Bridgewater Monument has been a striking feature at Ashridge Estate since it was built in 1832 to commemorate the Third Duke of Bridgewater and his contribution to the development of canals in Britain.

In November 2024, essential conservation work was completed to ensure the future of the Grade II* listed column and so visitors can continue to take in the spectacular views from the top of the 32m platform. You can read more about the conservation work here.

Illustration of Monument Drive today
Illustration of Monument Drive today | © LUC

Monument Drive today

Large concentration of visitors at the heart of the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and many cars parked on the delicate grass verges. The ground becomes churned up, particularly in wet weather and the soil is badly eroded and compacted.

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Our ongoing work to look after the special landscape in our care

Completed

Dog Waste Bins

We have recently installed an additional 12 dog waste bins across Ashridge Estate. Locations and further information can be found here.

Dog waste that is not picked up contaminates the soil and encourages faster growing plants such as nettles. Please clear up after your dog and dispose of the waste in one of these bins.

This project has been delivered using funding from development in Dacorum, Buckinhamshire, Bedfordshire and St Albans.

New dog waste bin at Ashridge Estate
New dog waste bin at Ashridge Estate | © © National Trust / Dave Hornby

Protecting Our Roots project timeline

March 2025

Interim car park planning application

A planning application for an interim car park on Meadley's Meadow was submitted to Dacorum Borough Council in March 2025 and validated in April 2025. You can review the planning application here.

The interim car park will move car parking away from the grass verges along Monument Drive where the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is being damaged through the intensity of use. Removing cars from these areas will allow us to commence a process of restoration for the verges to reinstate high quality acid grassland. It will also result in healthier soil and trees while increasing habitats and biodiversity.

Contact us

If you’d like to get in touch please email the project team.

We would also appreciate it if you could complete our short survey.

What can I do to help?

Our vision for Ashridge is a long-term plan to secure the future of the estate, but there are small things that everyone can do to help us look after this special place.

Only park in designated car parks
If the car parks are full please come back another time.
Stick to the path
To prevent trampling of plants and soil erosion.
Wear suitable footwear
Especially when it’s wet so you don’t have to walk around the mud.
Take your litter home with you
There are no litter bins on the estate so please take all litter home with you.
Bag up your dog’s poo
Carry it with you until you find a dog poo bin or take it home with you.
Do not light a BBQ
You are welcome to picnic but BBQs are an extreme fire risk and are not permitted anywhere on the estate.
Follow signs and keep dogs on a lead
To prevent disturbance to wildlife.
Family walking a dog at Ashridge Estate, hertfordshire

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