National Trust aims to protect the Ashridge Estate…

It was almost 100 years ago that the National Trust took on the stewardship of the almost 5,000 acres, that make up the Ashridge Estate. The National Trust (NT) team still manages the landscape as a working estate, continuing over 3,000 years of tradition. They use livestock to help look after the diverse habitats on the downlands and the foresters fell timber to ensure the health of the woodland. Keep an eye out for both two and four-legged conservation team members during your visit.

In recent years the population surrounding Ashridge Estate has increased significantly and they have seen a dramatic increase in the number of visitors to the estate, now exceeding 1.7 million a year. This is particularly noticeable around Monument Drive and the visitor centre area. This increase in footfall is, naturally, beginning to have a significant impact on the landscape and the special habitats in their care.

The NT has launched the Protecting Your Roots initiative which is aimed at, well, doing what it says! Now in the long term, this will see new visitor hubs and new parking areas. In the short term, it might mean that a path you have walked down many times, is now closed and an alternate is in place. It may mean that we have to park a little further away than we have previously.

All of this is to help protect Ashridge for another 100+ years of NT management and to enable us ‘tourists’ to enjoy the habitat alongside the natural plants and animals.

To help further reduce our car dependency we now have a fabulous local on-demand bus service that you can use that will get you to Ashridge and then you’ll have a lovely walk to The Alford for lunch or a glass of something! More information is here at HertsLynx.