From the report:

"SITE DESCRIPTION
LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING
Ashurst Park, its mansion set well back from the road, stands on a slight eminence above the undulating landscape of its parkland to its south-west. It lies 5.5km west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, approximately 1km south of Fordcombe and 2km north-east of Ashurst village. The c.40ha site is bordered to the east and north-east by the B2188 (Fordcombe Road) and to the south by the A264, which runs east from Tunbridge Wells to Ashurst. Stubbs Wood Farm and its fields form its north-west and west boundaries.
ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES
Ashurst Park is approached from the west side of Fordcombe Road. A winding tarmacadum-surfaced drive continues in a south-westerly direction for some 300m through grazed pastureland, then passes through a white-painted, five-bar, wooden gate. From here onwards the drive is bordered by mature laurel, rhododendron and exotic conifers including Scots Pine and Wellingtonia (many in poor condition).The drive descends on its approach to the mansion, then ascends again to arrive at a gravelled forecourt. The entrance front of Ashurst Park mansion enjoys fine views south and south-west over a sloping lawn planted with C20 shrub beds to the adjoining pasture and woodland (now in separate ownership). Enclosing the lawn on its north side is a small woodland of mature trees including several Wellingtonia (2009, in poor condition). The lawn is enclosed on its south-west by a 1m high 250m long lonicera hedge separating the garden from the parkland.
The drive continues from the forecourt for some 150m in a south-easterly direction between 1.5m high clipped conifer hedges then passes between 2m high, square section, white, rendered piers with ball finials on which hang a pair of 1.5m high wrought iron gates with an adjoining pedestrian entrance to its east. Once through the gates the drive, from here onwards a track, winds gently in the same direction for a further 500m to reach Langton Lodge (listed building grade II) at the junction of Fordcombe and Ashurst Roads. The lodge, designed
by the architect George Devey c.1864, has a façade of coursed sandstone ashlar, timber-framed gables and a peg roof (listed building description). In 1843, the only entrance to Ashurst Park was from the site of Langton Lodge on the south-east property boundary (Tithe Map). The drive then passed through woodland before emerging into the well-treed parkland on its approach to the mansion. By the 1860s Langton Lodge had been constructed and the drive was extended northwards from the mansion for 550m to a second lodge, also designed by Devey (Newman). This second lodge (Fordcombe Lodge) is situated 150m further north-west along the Fordcombe Road than the current entrance (1st edn OS map). Both lodges are now in separate private ownership.
PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS
Ashurst Park mansion (listed grade II) is a three-storey, stuccoed building with slate roofs probably built in the early 1800s but substantially altered and added to in the 1850s or 60s (Tithe Map; 1st edn OS map). The additions included a two-storey wing on its north-west service end, a single-storey wing on its south-east end and a central portico ‘flanked by symmetrical pavilions projecting to the front’ (listed building description) on its south-west, entrance front. A loggia supported on Tuscan columns links the wings across the centre (Newman). At the same time, an attached three-bay garden pavilion facing south-east was constructed on the north end of the garden front. The pavilion has a central rounded arch with a pediment over and the bays each side have stone balustrades and a parapet with urns (listed building description). A rectangular conservatory (c.10m x 15m) was also built on the garden front at the south end of the main three-storey building to form an enclosed terrace to its north (now demolished). It was described by Pevsner as ‘Quite a handsome composition’.
Eighty metres to the north of the mansion is a C19 brick stable and coach house courtyard block (listed building grade II) with red tile roofs, now partly converted to housing (Lake Cottage). The single-storey stable wings with chamfered stone plinths and sandstone ashlar dressings are built onto each end of a coach house which has an attic (listed building description). The coach house, which includes the original groom’s accommodation, is surmounted by a clock tower and cupola with a bell bearing the date 1867. The courtyard is completed by a brick wall on the fourth (south) side.
GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
The ornamental gardens lie on the north-west, north-east and south-east fronts of the mansion. A terrace paved in concrete slabs (now, 2009, under repair) runs along the north-east front, partly on the site of the demolished C19 conservatory. The garden pavilion on its north end remains in good condition; a few metres to its north-east the remains of a rockery survive, now overgrown with moss and weeds. The gardens immediately north-east of the terrace are laid to lawn (now, 2009, rough grass) with a few mature trees (oak, beech, conifers) remaining from a C19 planting. They are enclosed on their north-west and north-east sides by woodland. To the south-east a 1.5m high conifer hedge forms a boundary with gardens to its west, now in separate private ownership.
One hundred metres to the north-east of the mansion lays a lake of some 0.5ha with a second lake of similar size sited 140m to its east adjoining C17 farm
buildings now partly converted to housing (Mudge). A third 0.8ha lake lies 150m north- east of the mansion on the south-east boundary of the kitchen garden (first shown on the Tithe Map) The lakes are shown on maps from 1862, but the banks are now inaccessible due to tree and shrub growth (1st edn OS map). The routes of earlier walks (now grassed) can be traced in the lawns. From the 1860s a walk ran along the north-east front of the mansion leading from both ends to winding walks that crossed and encircled the lawn and woodlands.
One hundred and fifty metres south-east of the mansion is a wire-enclosed tennis court screened on its east by the hedge along the drive. A few metres to its south are wooden stables with a corrugated roof.
PARKLAND
The undulating parkland to the west of the mansion is managed as grazed pasture with some mature, oaks and beeches, together with two cedars (in poor condition) surviving from the 1800s (1st edn OS map). One hundred and fifty metres north-west of the mansion are the low brick and tile buildings of the private hospital with the care home 80m to its north. Both are set in landscaped grounds and screened from the mansion by a small copse.
KITCHEN GARDEN
One hundred and fifty metres north of the mansion is the C19 kitchen garden comprising three walled compartments. These compartments are shown on the Tithe Map but only became part of the Ashurst Park estate in the 1860s when acquired for an estate kitchen garden. The 1st edn OS map shows a building (now, Black Lion House, listed grade II) standing on Fordcombe Road with a number of adjoining and freestanding glasshouses within the largest compartment (c.90x40m) with the third lake forming its south-west boundary. A frameyard is attached to the exterior of this compartment’s north-east wall. Attached to the south-east wall of this same largest one is a third compartment (c. 50mx50m), since demolished. The frameyard now forms the entrance yard to Black Lion House with the main kitchen compartment laid to grass." (1)

<1> Barbara Simms, 2009, The Kent Compendium of Historic Parks and Gardens for Tunbridge Wells Borough: Ashurst Park (Unpublished document). SKE16058.