Originally a 14C monastery, Ashridge House and Chapel were designed by James Wyatt (see Gaddesden Place) and built from 1808-1821 in Neo-Gothic style by the Bridgewater family. The National Trust acquired some 3,500 acres of Ashridge parklands in 1921. In 1928 the house was bought by Mr Urban Broughton who established it as a residential college affiliated to the Conservative Party. During World War II the house became an emergency hospital where the wounded from Dunkirk were treated. In 1959 Ashridge became an independent management college.
Author: G Patterson