Ashburnham Place
A big slice of Sussex parkland, once part of an even bigger estate, now a Christian conference centre with grounds open to visitors
Access unclearno public right of way confirmed — check locally before setting out
The Ashburnham family held this land for centuries, and the designed landscape of just over 400 hectares that’s still here today is only part of what the estate once covered. Much of the main house came down in 1959, and the wing that remains is now run by a Christian trust as a conference and retreat centre, with the wider grounds open for visitors to walk.
There’s a good iron-industry tangent buried in the parkland too. Ashburnham’s furnace was the last blast furnace working in Sussex, not going cold until 1813, decades after most of the rest of the Weald’s ironworks had already gone quiet. Gentler traces remain too: a chain of lakes that Capability Brown laid out in the mid-18th century, a walled garden, and a small estate church near the house.
Check ahead before you visit, since the grounds share space with a working conference centre rather than a standard open attraction. Battle Abbey and the Battle of Hastings site are both a short drive east, and Bateman’s, Kipling’s old house, is within easy reach north. The Ashburnham Park reserve next door covers much of the same ground from a wildlife angle, all inside the High Weald.
