The history of Ashdown House

William Craven and Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen 

Craven was loyal to the House of Stuart and devoted to Elizabeth Stuart (1596–1662), sister to King Charles I. He first met Elizabeth in the 1630s when she and her husband Frederick were living in exile in the Hague. 

From 1610 to 1623, Frederick served as Elector Palatine of the Rhine. This was a role that administered territories of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1619, Frederick and Elizabeth had become King and Queen of Bohemia. The following year they were defeated by the Hapsburgs and forced into exile. Frederick’s territories, and his position as Elector, were transferred to the Duke of Bavaria. As their reign only lasted one winter, Frederick and Elizabeth were referred to as The Winter King and Queen. 

In 1632, Craven led English troops in an attempt to regain Frederick’s lost Palatine lands. Following this campaign, Craven was devoted to Elizabeth and her family for the remainder of his life.   

In 1637, Frederick’s sons, Charles Louise and Rupert, attempted to regain their lost inheritance. Craven saved Rupert’s life, but both were taken prisoner. Craven purchased his freedom in 1639 for £20,000 (over £2,350,000 today). 

Civil Wars and the Restoration 

During the Civil Wars, Craven remained in the Hague as part of Elizabeth’s court, keeping in contact with leading politicians and officers of Charles I's party. He provided subsidies to the king, contributing £50,000 (over £6,000,000 today) to the monarchy and its supporters during the Interregnum. He also paid off Elizabeth Stuart’s debts and provided her with ongoing financial support when her pension from the English Crown was stopped. Parliament confiscated Craven’s estates in 1651 as punishment for his support of the Royalist cause.  

Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Craven’s estates were restored to him and he was made 1st Earl Craven. Elizabeth Stuart was able to return to London in 1661. As she had nowhere to live, Craven provided his London home for her use and acted as her informal head of household. Elizabeth and her household lived there until shortly before her death in 1662.

Colonial trade and slavery 

In 1663 Craven was named as one of the eight Lords Proprietors of Carolina including a share in the colony of Carolina. Craven County in North Carolina is still named after him. In 1670 he became a Governor of the Company of Adventurers of England trading in Hudson’s Bay. In 1673 he became a Commissioner for Tangier. Craven was also involved in the trade of enslaved people through his links with the Company of Royal Adventurers trading in Africa. His name is also on the 1672 founding charter of the Royal Africa Company. 

Building Ashdown 

In the early 1660’s Craven built Ashdown House as a small countryside palace for the pursuit of hunting. At the time, outbreaks of plague were ravaging London, and Craven is said to have also built Ashdown to keep Elizabeth Stuart safe.  

Ashdown replaced an earlier hunting lodge and was constructed in the fashionable ‘Dutch style’. The designer was possibly William Winde or Sir Balthasar Gerbier. It is situated at the centre of an extensive wooded park, cut through with four long avenues or rides. The main lodge is a tall, narrow square building of four stories. On the roof, a cupola and viewing platform provide panoramic views across the extensive woodland.  A formal garden was laid out around the lodge. 

It is unclear if Elizabeth Stuart ever saw Ashdown completed as she died in 1662. On her death, Elizabeth bequeathed William Craven all her papers, hunting trophies and many family portraits – several of which now hang at Ashdown House. William Craven never married and served the Stuart cause until his death in 1697.

A family home 

In 1835, William Craven, 2nd Earl Craven (1809–66) married Lady Emily Mary Grimston (1816–1901). They made Ashdown their family home and raised their nine children on the Estate. They also undertook several alterations including linking the side pavilions to the main house. These extensions were demolished in the 1950s. In the 19th century, the small 17th century garden was enlarged. By the late 19th century, a parterre garden enclosed by hedges had been laid out.  

The 2nd Earl was an accomplished amateur photographer and member of the newly formed Photographic Society. At Ashdown, he experimented with this new art form and had a specially built photographic van where he undertook experiments in photography.  

Second World War 

During the Second World War Ashdown House was requisitioned by the British and American Armies with the Victorian stable block used as a garrison. They left the building in a near derelict state.    

National Trust  

Ashdown stopped being a family home after 1926 but remained within the ownership of the Craven family until 1956 when Cornelia, Countess of Craven (1877–1961) donated it to the National Trust. Following the Craven Estate Sale in 1968, 23 family portraits and several hunting trophies originally owned by Elizabeth Stuart were transferred to the National Trust for display at Ashdown House.  

Ashdown today 

The current garden dates from the 1950s and is a simplified version of the late 19th-century ornamental parterre garden. The wooded park contains three herds of deer – muntjac, roe and white-spotted. The cupola provides views across Ashdown woodland, some of which is older than the 17th-century house.

Further reading

• Smuts, R. Malcolm. "Craven, William, earl of Craven (bap. 1608, d. 1697), army officer and royal servant." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 

• Asch, Ronald G. "Elizabeth, Princess [Elizabeth Stuart] (1596–1662), queen of Bohemia and electress palatine, consort of Frederick V." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

• Researching RPS history Royal Photographic Society (2nd Earl Craven was an early member).