My first visit to Ashburnham Place came when it hosted the Christmas Pudding Dash in December 2010. The melting snow covered the ground as the runners took off to complete the five-mile run. The woodland stretch turned into a quagmire that sucked at my running shoes and my stamina.
But despite the conditions, it was fun running through and around the estate to finish in front of the house. Since then, I’ve swapped my running shoes for walking ones. Now I move around the peaceful and beautiful estate at a gentle pace, soaking in the views, birdsong and tranquillity.
Lying a few miles west of Battle, in East Sussex, the Ashburnham Place estate has a long and chequered history, dating back to 1150, when the Ashburnham family owned the estate. By 1883, the estate occupied around 9,000 acres out of a family landholding of nearly 24,500 acres. The family’s wealth came from their extensive lands and then from their pre-eminent position in the Sussex iron industry.
In 1924, the sixth Earl, and last of the male line, died. The house passed to his niece, Lady Catherine Ashburnham, who maintained the house and its collections until her death in January 1953.
Her passing left distant cousin, the Rev. John Bickersteth, to inherit an enormous tax demand. He had no choice but to sell up quickly. The cumulative effects of both a large potential repair bill and the death duties sealed the fate of Ashburnham Place.
Many art treasures, furniture, and half the estate were sold. In 1959, the house was largely demolished. What remained was gifted to the Ashburnham Christian Trust in 1960.
It is now a conference centre and is home to a serving community of Christians from many traditions.
Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown designed the 200-acre garden, with its lakes and woodland. In1777, he designed the spectacular Orangery, which houses all kinds of delicate plants, including some of the oldest camellias in the country.
The Orangery, which is open to the public, is now a welcoming tearoom that offers superb cakes alongside cups of tea or coffee. It’s the perfect place to lunch, or wind down and reflect after a walk around the estate.
There’s no charge for access and plenty of parking spaces, but please stop in the Orangery and buy lunch, followed by cakes, to show your appreciation.
