HomeExplorePlacesPassportSign in

Ashridge Estate

National Trust

Ashridge Estate

Countryside·Hertfordshire·4.7

£3
Non-member
Free
Members
4.7
4,699
Daylight
See times
Website
Directions
PricingFree with National Trust membershipNT memberFree entryNon-member£3
Entry
Non-member prices
Adult (18+) - Bridgewater Monument£3.00
Child (5-17) - Bridgewater Monument£1.50
ParkingFree for members

Free for members

CountrysideWalking routesTwo pawprintsBadges collectable

About

Ashridge Estate covers 5,000 acres of the Chiltern Hills, a mix of ancient beech and oak woodland, wooded commons and chalk downland that the National Trust has run as a working estate since 1926, including the largest in-hand woodland in the Trust's care. Over 80 miles of paths take in the Golden Valley laid out by Capability Brown, Ivinghoe Beacon on the Ridgeway and Pitstone Windmill, one of the oldest post mills in Britain. The 172-step Bridgewater Monument opens on selected days for views across the estate, carpets of bluebells draw crowds in spring and fallow deer rut in autumn. Dogs are welcome almost everywhere, on leads only in the visitor centre and shop. Reviewers praise the well-signed trails of varying lengths and the free parking, though the Monument Cafe has outdoor seating only and little shade. Tips from regulars: arrive early at bluebell time to park near the visitor centre, and check the estate map before you go, as parking along Monument Drive is changing.

Open in daylightPick a day for times and prices

November 2026

MoTuWeThFrSaSu

Today, Monday 2 November

  • EstateDawn – Dusk
  • Café09:00 – 16:00
  • Shop10:00 – 16:00
  • Visitor centre10:00 – 16:00

Reviews & Tips

No reviews yet

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!

Passport stamp

2 stamps shared

Pins

No pin photos yet

Badges

No badge photos yet

Walking routes5 routes
Duncombe Terrace walk(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
3.2 km distance·1hr40 to walkeasy

Dogs, with restrictions

2 miles (3.2km), easy, about 1 hour 40 minutes, 7 stages. Starts at the Ashridge Estate visitor centre, grid ref SP970130, with parking on Monument Drive. An even walk with no steep gradients that does not tend to get muddy or slippery; the Trust says the level surfaces make it suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs and for people with reduced mobility. Toilets at the visitor centre; the Monument Cafe has outdoor seating only.

Capability Brown walk (In the footsteps of Capability Brown)(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
6.9 km distance·1hr30 to walkeasy

Dogs, with restrictions

4.3 miles (6.88km), easy, about 1 hour 30 minutes, 10 stages. Starts at the Ashridge visitor centre, grid ref SP971131. Well-trodden footpaths, tracks and grassland which may be muddy in winter.

Ashridge boundary trail(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
14.4 km distance·3hr–6hr to walkchallenging

Dogs, with restrictions

9 miles (14.4km), challenging, 3 to 6 hours. Starts at the Ashridge Estate visitor centre by the Bridgewater Monument, grid ref SP970130, address Ashridge Estate, Moneybury Hill, Ringshall, Berkhamsted HP4 1LT; free car park off Monument Drive, satnav HP4 1LT. A mix of paths and tracks that can get very muddy and uneven, with stiles, steps and steep, sometimes slippery hills. Tring station is about 1.5 miles from the Bridgewater Monument.

Ashridge boundary trail (south)(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
16.8 km distance·3hr30–7hr to walkchallenging

Dogs, with restrictions

10.5 miles (16.8km), challenging, 3 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours. Starts at the Ashridge Estate visitor centre by the Bridgewater Monument, grid ref SP970130. A mix of paths and tracks, some very muddy and uneven, with stiles, steps and steep gradients that can be slippery after rain.

Bridgewater Monument to Pitstone Windmill circular walk(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
12 km distance·3hr to walkmoderate

Dogs, with restrictions

7.5 miles (12km), moderate, about 3 hours, 11 stages. Starts and finishes at the Bridgewater Monument car park, grid ref SP97001310, postcode HP4 1LX. Mostly good paths with some steep sections and some paths across ploughed fields, plus a small amount of walking on busy roads where crossing can be difficult and visibility limited. Toilets and a cafe at the visitor centre beside the Bridgewater Monument. This route leaves the Ashridge Estate.

Nearby

Pitstone Windmill

2.3 mi

Berkhamsted Castle

3.3 mi

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

3.9 mi

Dunstable Downs

4.7 mi

Ascott House

7.7 mi

Coombe Hill

8.5 mi

King's Head

9.4 mi

Old Gorhambury House

10.9 mi

Roman Wall of St Albans

10.9 mi