Base Camp is on the site of the old Outwood Kiln – the brickworks on the Toms Hill Road in the parish of Aldbury. Originally it was open common land until enclosed at some time by the Bridgewaters. Although it probably started as a local brick kiln for Aldbury, it developed into a much larger operation when construction of the new Mansion took place from 1803- 1810.
The buildings are leftovers from the brickwork era which ceased production around 1938, and have been renovated and modernised by the Trust in recent times.
Base Camp provides overnight living accommodation for National Trust volunteer groups working at distant locations, like Cliveden or Waddesdon.
The accommodation requires an annual “deep clean”, so the volunteers were called in last Saturday to do the job.
Ashridge Volunteers 
Lawrence explained that the grass area outside was the site of the clay pit, which lay empty until the Trust allowed the local council to use it for landfill around the 1960’s. Everything was dumped in there and the trucks used a terraced system to get in and out. The Trust is considering using the area for camping and have had specialists in to check on the safety of the landfill area.
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Thankyou for leaving a comment.It increases the volunteers general knowledge of the Ashridge area.More comments of this nature are very interesting.Maybe some indication of the types of groups who use this facility would be interesting thus to encourage others to book it.
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