Welcome to Ashridge
General Information for Delegates Facilities
Ashridge House Ashridge is set in a 190-acre country estate in a idyllic location in the Chiltern Hills. In the course of a history spanning 700 years it has been the home of a religious order, then briefly a royal residence (Elizabeth I), and later the mansion of dukes and earls including the Duke of Bridgewater. Since 1959 Ashridge has carried out extensive modernisation and careful restoration including the addition of 190 purpose-built modern bedrooms, 11 of which are executive suites, but the character of the old house remains.
Accommodation Your individual study bedroom is situated in a modern building. All rooms are centrally heated, comfortably furnished and equipped with full en-suite bathroom facilities. The following equipment is standard: universal shaver point (240V), radio/clock alarm, colour television, telephone with voice- mail facility, modem connector for standard UK and international usage, tea/coffee-making equipment and hair-dryer. Each room has a safe for your personal use, located in the wardrobe. Bedrooms on arrival are guaranteed to be ready by 1500. We request that Travelling to Ashridge you vacate your bedroom by 0900 or before sessions start on the day of your departure. Arriving by road A local route map is included in this leaflet. As you approach Ashridge, signposts indicate that it is a private toll road. No fee will be payable if you show this leaflet. Please take care when driving over the ramps on this section of road. If coming by car, we advise you leave your luggage in your vehicle until you have checked in, so that Reception may direct you to park and unload near the residential buildings. Open-air parking facilities are available. Petrol and garage services can be obtained in Berkhamsted which is 4 miles (6km) from Ashridge.
Arriving by rail The nearest railway station is Berkhamsted, 4 miles (6 km) from Ashridge. Trains to Berkhamsted depart from Euston Station in central London and the journey time is approximately 35 minutes. A train timetable is available on request, and courtesy transport can be arranged. Food and drink We pride ourselves on the high standard of our catering. There is always a Arriving by air wide choice of menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner including a vegetarian option. Ashridge is approximately a 30-minute drive from London Luton, 45 minutes from London Heathrow, and 1½ hours from London Gatwick, via the M25 motorway. Meals are served at the following times: We can make arrangements for a car to meet you at the airport if you wish. Breakfast 07.30–09.00 Please give at least 48 hours’ notice. A charge will be made for this service, Lunch 12.30–13.45 details of which can be obtained by telephoning Ashridge on +44 (0)1442 Dinner 19.00–20.30 843491. The driver will be waiting for you in the arrival hall at the airport. If for If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know in advance. some reason (such as a changed arrival time) this is not the case, go to We also keep a well-stocked bar and wine cellar. Bar opening times are: the Information Desk and ask for the driver to be paged. Should this be 12.15-13.45 and 18.00-23.00 (midnight on Thursdays). Wine can be unsuccessful telephone Ashridge on 01442 843491 for advice. ordered at the bar or at the dining table. Drinks at the bar can be paid for in If you decide to hire a taxi, make sure it is a properly registered vehicle and cash or by asking the bar staff to transfer the cost to your personal account agree the fare before starting the journey. (simply show your room key). General Health and Safety The organiser of your conference will be issued with all the necessary Money emergency procedures in case of fire. Please ensure you familiarise yourself with the location of all exit routes and fire alarm points in the areas of We are pleased to cash personal cheques or travellers’ cheques. Personal accounts covering transport, telephone calls, bar bills and other sundry items Ashridge relevant to your stay at Ashridge. are prepared at the end of each residential conference. Accounts should For security reasons, we ask that all delegates wear name badges during be settled by cash, cheque or major credit cards before departure in the their stay at Ashridge. Most meeting rooms are lockable, and all bedrooms Cashier’s Office which is located along the main corridor in the Main House. are fitted with safes, and the site is covered by CCTV cameras and patrolled by a Security team. We do ask that you take reasonable precautions with Newspapers your belongings. A selection of UK and international newspapers is available to read in main Should you need to seek medical assistance during your stay, a member of public areas. staff qualified in First Aid is always on duty. Please inform us in advance of any disabilities or serious medical health problems so that your stay may be Shopping made as comfortable as possible. The Ashridge Bookshop, situated in the Learning Resources Centre, offers for sale books covering a wide range of management topics, as well as a range Visitors to the UK should check before leaving their country as to whether of Ashridge guidebooks, postcards and souvenirs. Toiletries, confectionery, they are entitled to NHS treatment. All visitors to Ashridge are advised to take crisps, soft drinks and cigarettes can be purchased via vending machines in out adequate medical insurance cover. convenient locations around Ashridge.
Telephoning All bedrooms have direct-dial phones with voice-mail facility, and there are a number of pay phones around the buildings. An external telephone line can also be installed in or near the main conference room on prior request by the organiser.
Messages Our Reception staff will be happy to take messages for you at any time: these will be placed in the message tray by your meeting room. Please ask anyone likely to be contacting you to quote the name of the conference you are attending. It is our policy not to interrupt conferences to give messages, unless advised otherwise or in an emergency.
Wi-Fi Ashridge have a site-wide T-Mobile Hotspot covering all public areas, teaching rooms and bedroom accommodation.
Dress Casual clothing can be worn at all times. Appropriate sportswear must be worn when using the sports facilities, sauna, swimming pool, etc. There is an ironing room in every bedroom building and irons and boards can be found in most of the rooms.
Smoking In compliance with current UK legislation, smoking is not permitted within any Fitness and relaxation enclosed area on the Ashridge site.
A wide range of indoor and outdoor activities is provided. The well-equipped Lifestyle Centre has a heated swimming pool, two squash courts, gymnasium, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. For reasons of safety the swimming pool opening hours vary –please check in advance or on arrival. It is also possible to book a wide range of treatments, such as massage and reflexology – please ask for full details. Outdoors, there are three all-weather tennis courts, a pitch-and-putt course and a croquet lawn, as well as football and cricket pitches. Within the Ashridge estate, there is a jogging trail and the surrounding gardens and woodland are ideal for walking or running. Mountain bikes can be borrowed by contacting Reception. There are also two 18-hole golf courses nearby. How to get to Ashridge
Ashridge Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1NS United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0)1442 843491 Fax: +44(0)1442 841209 www.ashridge.org.uk
Registered as Ashridge (Bonar Law Memorial) Trust. Charity number 311096