Facilities

General Facilities

Since Ashburnham Place became a Prayer and Conference Centre in 1960 the original facilities contained in the stately home have been extended and modernised with the most recent work completed in 2008. 

The following facilities are available to those booked as residential guests:

  • Adventure Plus organised activites*
  • Internet access (WiFi enabled area)
  • Daily postal collection
  • Newspaper ordering*
  • Christian bookshop selling books, music, gifts and cards
  • Football pitch (please bring own ball)
  • Volleyball net (please bring own ball)
  • Croquet set available*
  • Games room equipped with a table tennis table, pool table and table football
  • Camp fire site* (£18 charge for use of wood and firelighters)
  • Barbecue site*
  • Swimming area in the lake (in season)
  • Boating lake (please bring own boats)
  • Fishing (between 16 June and 15 March only - rod licence must be carried and permit obtained from Reception)
  • Nature trails

*Subject to pre-booking. 

Meeting Rooms

We currently offer six well -equipped and beautiful conference rooms in the original house with all the ambience of a former stately home.  These rooms can seat from 30 to 180 people and all are completely flexible in their layout.  All meeting rooms are equipped with a TV/DVD player, an overhead projector (OHP) and screen, flipchart, paper & pens and a lectern. Tables and a Yamaha Clavinova electric piano or keyboard can also be provided on request.  We strongly recommend you bring your own laptop and data projector if needed. 

The meeting rooms in the main house are on the ground floor and are wheelchair accessible.

In the main house:

  • The Great Hall has a capacity of 180, and has an amplification and loop system and two large wall-mounted monitors for presentations.
  •  The White Room has a capacity of 60.
  • The Green Room has a capacity of 30 with comfortable chairs making it ideal as a lounge or break-out room.
  • The Library has a capacity of 60.
  • The John Ashburnham Room (JA) has a capacity of 30 or can be laid out with comfortable sofas making it ideal as a lounge or break-out room.
  • The West Room has a capacity of 50.

We also have other separate meeting rooms a short walk from the accommodation areas and main house:

  • The Prayer Centre Upper Room has a capacity of 25 and has a large wall-mounted monitor for presentations.
  • The Patmos Lodge Meeting Room has a capacity of 40 and has a large wall-mounted monitor for presentations.
  • The Prayer Centre Small Meeting Room has a capacity of 8.
  • The Orangery, designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, is a beautiful place to enjoy summer evenings or a pre-booked cream tea.
  • The Old Dairy can seat up to 40 and is only available at weekends.
  • In addition, the Church Hall can sometimes be booked by groups, especially those wishing to pray overnight.  It has a capacity of 30. 

Accommodation  

 We have a number of accommodation units situated in and adjacent to the main house, providing the following:

  • 32 twin bedded rooms
  • 20 single rooms 
  • 12 double bedded rooms
  • 7 family rooms, containing a double bed and bunk bed for 2 children
  • 29 twin bedded en-suite rooms 
  • 5 family en-suite rooms, containing 2 beds and a bunk bed for 2 children
  • 24 bunk bed places in dormitory rooms (single sex)  

In addition to this, there are 18 twin en-suite rooms situated near to the Prayer Centre where guests who come alone or in small groups are usually accommodated.

We provide a range of accommodation to suit various budgets - please click here for a desciption and photos of the different grades of accommodation

Those wanting to bring larger numbers will find that groups can book both a residential package in the conference centre and offer the opportunity for further delegates to camp in the beautiful and extensive grounds.  Marquees can be hired and used for larger meetings.

 Facilities for Children

We are delighted to cater for children of all ages, but cannot take responsibility for supervision.  All groups need to provide dedicated children's carers.  We can provide the following:

  • Well-equipped nursery with enclosed outdoor play area for young children
  • Small den ideal for drawing or craft work or for watching videos/DVD's
  • Fridge and microwave where parents can prepare milk or baby food
  • Washing machine and dryer for parents to launder clothes
  • Cots (please bring own bedding)
  • Highchairs
  • A child-friendly menu, if booked in advance 
  • Games Room equipped with a table tennis table, a pool table and a table football game

The Grounds and Gardens

The grounds of Ashburnham Place extend to over 220 acres and provide a setting of great natural beauty at all times of the year. The area is rich in wildlife, and part of it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of valuable flora and fauna.

The grounds in their present form were designed and constructed in the mid-eighteenth century by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. He laid out the three large lakes which encircle the house, and built the Orangery, which is home to a number of interesting and unusual plants, as well as the oldest camellias in the country.

The beautiful iron gates and railings which encircle the gardens around the house are a reminder that it was at Ashburnham that the Sussex iron industry finally died out in 1825.

A walk through the grounds will take you past the Temple - a small ornamental building, the Ladyspring grotto - a classical 'ruin' built around a freshwater spring, and the Winter Garden, which has been restored to provide walks and areas of planting for enjoyment throughout the winter months.

The Prayer Garden 

The fragrant Prayer Garden is situated within the Victorian walled garden, and offers a peaceful place to pray. A restored Victorian glasshouse offers a beautiful place to sit in inclement weather.  

The Prayer Houses 

The restoration of the old pump houses beside the River Ashbourne has created additional prayer space. We are grateful to the many guests and supporters who contributed towards this project, which was completed in 2004. The two prayer rooms are of a simple style, with no electricity or sleeping facilities, but are ideal for individuals or groups of up to six who wish to pray in the beautiful woodlands. The rooms are available from 8.30am to 7.00pm daily; keys are obtainable upon payment of a refundable £10 deposit at Reception.