National Trust - Ashridge Estate Reviews Summary

Category: Tourist attraction

Address: Moneybury Hill, Ringshall, Berkhamsted HP4 1LX, United Kingdom

Phone: +441442851227

Rating: 4.7
based on 441 reviews.

Cafe Experience

Pros:

  • "Cafe provides good, reasonably priced food and drinks."
  • "The cafe has a really nice scone that I like."
  • "The tea bar has an extensive range of freshly baked cakes amongst other items."
  • "The cafe is great, offering great value home made sandwiches and hot snacks."
  • "The cafe sells very tasty food and welcome hot drinks (on a chilly day)."
  • "The café is great, the biggest scones that I ever had, nice and soft, melt in your mouth."
  • "National trust cafe: Stopped for a quick coffee after 5 mile walk. Didn’t know what to expect but the coffee was excellent- could have rivalled Nero!"

Cons:

  • "The cafe was super busy, so we couldn't get a table."
  • "As a result it's ridiculously busy on an average weekend, and the queue for the cafe is absurd (30+ mins)."
  • "If you plan to use the cafe be prepared for a very long wait when it's busy."
  • "Cafe at visitor centre now run by National Trust but still long queues at lunchtime."
  • "The bacon was extremely fatty and the take away carton was full of grease."
  • "The cafe is open but long queues!!"
  • "Not the best experience at the cafe today."

Parking and Accessibility

Pros:

  • "Parking is free but they welcome a donation and it looks like spaces may be an issue if it is a popular day."
  • "Ample parking despite how many people come."
  • "Ample free car parking."
  • "Nice cafe and shop. Easy parking. Beautiful place for a walk."
  • "Easy access. Nice big free carpark."
  • "There is plenty of parking, but watch out as some places can get very muddy."
  • "An absolute wealth of free parking on the estate."

Cons:

  • "Cars have damaged the grass on the main monument drive so parking is even more restricted."
  • "On busy days you could end up parking in a muddy area a long way from the hub."
  • "Parking is a bit limited near the actual cafe bit, but there is plenty along the approach."
  • "It gets very busy and can be tricky to park, especially near the monument."
  • "Couldn't get parked and the pathways are busy."
  • "Parking can be a challenge on weekends."
  • "It gets very, very busy at the weekend!"

Natural Beauty and Trails

Pros:

  • "Fantastic place for a walk, lots of parking but can get quite busy especially on weekends or Bank Holidays."
  • "The variety of landscape is amazing, from woods to chalk hills and it’s beautiful all year round."
  • "Superb walk with spectacular views and magnificent natural beauty, less than an hour away from London by train."
  • "Love the wildlife walk. Good 13km walk with varied view - amazing bluebell woods."
  • "A beautiful oasis outside of London - varied walks with hills, amazing views, dense woodland, grass fields and wildlife."
  • "Glorious forests, footpaths meandering through acres of dense and clear magnificent scenery."
  • "The Ashridge estate offers fantastic walks and scenery of outstanding beauty in all weathers."

Cons:

  • "It can get a little muddy, but, nothing that a good pair of wellies won't solve."
  • "In winter wellies are advised as the tracks get deep in mud."
  • "It gets really muddy in the winter! Be prepared!"
  • "Can be a bit muddy in damp conditions but that's just the nature of the great outdoors."
  • "Did the bluebells walk in Dockey Woods. Very beautiful & so relaxing but be warned...the path is very muddy at the moment so walk with wellies."
  • "The scenery is not the most interesting and you’re almost forced to stick to the path."
  • "We tried the Forester's walk and it is really poorly sign posted."

Facilities and Services

Pros:

  • "The toilets were clean and well presented."
  • "National Trust shop and excellent tea room with plenty of outdoor seating."
  • "Visitor’s Centre staff was kind and helpful, providing support in choosing a walk route and introducing the Estate."
  • "There's a cafe and toilets at the main car park."
  • "One toilet is currently available (disabled one - marked for emergency use only) which is always very clean."
  • "Toilets on site."
  • "Used the disability golf carts. Fantastic experience for my father who is not able to walk far."

Cons:

  • "A shame that the dog bins were overflowing and looked like they hadn't been emptied for sometime."
  • "the Internet and communication did not work in the forest! (February 2021). We do not know if this is always the case."
  • "Clean toilets, but only downside there was no toilet roll."
  • "Although given a buzzer for when our drinks would be ready I ended up having to go up and ask when they would be ready after a very long wait only to be told someone else had taken them."
  • "Cafe was a bit of a disaster as it tasted like farmyard water."
  • "Limited food/restroom facilities at the moment so be prepared to queue."
  • "Staff were trying but they needed to up their speed of service."

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