Ashridge Estate

Ashridge Estate

Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows in an area of outstanding natural beauty.The estate consists of 5,000 acres of woodland, parkland and chalk downlands. Walk from Pitstone to Ivinghoe Beacon across chalk grasslands, explore Pitstone Windmill, or visit Bridgewater Monument at the centre of the estate. The Bridgewater Monument. On the approach to Ashridge visitor centre, you can’t miss this towering granite column which reaches high above the treetops of the estate.

The monument was built in 1832 in memory of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, Francis Egerton, who once lived in Ashridge house. As you walk around its York stone base, notice how the monument is dedicated to ‘the father of inland navigation’ because the duke became famous for building canals during the Industrial Revolution.

Climb to the top

During weekends from April to October and when the weather is good, the monument is open and you can take on the challenge of climbing all 172 steps to the top. As you scale the winding steps, take time to feel the rough cold blocks of granite and peek through the windows as you leave the ground behind. £2.50 per adult and £1.50 per child. Free for National Trust members. When you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of Ashridge Estate and rolling Chiltern’s countryside. In fine weather, you may be able to see Canary Wharf in central London, over 30 miles away.

Ivinghoe Beacon

Although Ivinghoe Beacon is not the highest point on the Ashridge Estate, it has spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

Remnants of the Bronze Age

There has been human activity on this site since the Bronze Age. You may be able to make out the outline of the remains of an Iron Age hillfort on top of the beacon. Bronze Age burial mounds can be seen throughout the area – all are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Centuries of farming

Our ancestors farmed this landscape for centuries and the cattle and sheep you see here today are a continuation of that process. The animals create the right conditions for wildflowers and butterflies to thrive.

Pitstone Windmill

Approaching Pitstone post mill from the surrounding Chiltern countryside gives you magical views which change with the seasons, making it worth a visit even when the mill is closed.

History of the mill

Pitstone Windmill is an early post mill so, unlike similar mills in East Anglia, it was turned to face the wind on top of a huge wooden post using a tail pole instead of a fantail or shuttered sails. The earliest date found inscribed in the woodwork is 1627, although it’s generally thought it was built earlier. The mill served its community for three centuries until a freak storm in 1902 caused extensive damage Although it’s no longer in use today, its machinery, including the windshaft and the brake wheel, is still intact and was restored by the Pitstone Windmill Restoration Committee, a team of volunteers set up in 1963 to rescue the mill.