Author Archives: ashridgevolunteersblog

The origins of Halloween are in the Celtic pagan festival Samhain, when the boundary between the two worlds thinned – the here and now and the afterlife. That’s why it’s supposed to be a bit s-s-s-poooky. It marks the end … Continue reading →

With its surrounding wooded hillside it ought to be a tranquil rural idyll. But this bosky valley has become a battleground over the rights of pedestrians and cyclists – something which is commonplace in urban areas just moved to the … Continue reading →

Some remarkable Victorians tramped over every foot of Britain to create precise pictures for posterity, though they used neither camera nor canvas. Even the unremarkable slopes of Meadleys Meadow came into focus on a certain day in 1876, when a … Continue reading →

The gates at the Beacon car park are the most used on the Estate with serious soil erosion now taking hold on the hillside in the Coombe. With the help of the volunteers the Trust make regular improvements to the … Continue reading →

The dramatic destruction of the Amazon rainforest is a stark reminder of the importance of trees in our ecosystem – they give us life taking in carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen. Ashridge has some two thousand five hundred acres … Continue reading →

The packed program of special events continues through the Autumn and Winter at Ashridge – The following list will help you when organising your volunteering time-table for the next four months. There are at least fourteen events to consider – … Continue reading →

There is an abundance in the air – not just wildlife, but food and fruits resulting from a favourable growing season sponsored by benign weather. There has been an embarkation of painted ladies from N Africa – we are talking … Continue reading →

Seven hundred hay harvests and counting………. – that’s what Meadleys meadow has produced over the centuries – first mentioned in 1315. Always a hay meadow, never ploughed, and cut by hand each July since “time out of mind” as the … Continue reading →

Cattle grazing in Golden Valley is a big deal – Ashridge Park was laid out in the 1600’s and emparked for deer rather than sheep or cattle. Today we have an ancient breed of cattle introduced to Monument Field next … Continue reading →

The Thursday volunteers have been lending a helping hand in the gardens at Ashridge House, assisting with the maintenance of the pleasure grounds, for Ashridge Hult the new occupiers. This is a nice break but a far cry from working … Continue reading →