SEBA - South East Berkshire Association

Ambarrow Hill - Ambarrow Court

Just north of Sandhurst the A321 winds through trees, and between here and the railway line is an area of around 30 acres of mostly woodland comprising the former Ambarrow Court estate. From the road it would be all too easy to miss the conical hump hidden in the woods, but on foot the public footpath that runs on the opposite side of the railway along the edge of the Wellington College grounds gives a clearer indication of the shape of the hill.

The northern half of the estate - including the hill - was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1933 by Mrs Edith Harvey, the last private owner of the estate, whilst the southern half - including the large house - was sold to a private buyer. The house had been built in 1885, and it had 12 bedrooms, a walled garden, stables, gardener’s cottage and an entrance lodge. During WW2 the house was used by the government for radio and radar research following bomb damage at RAE, and for this work several huts and a tower were added in the grounds. The house was vacated in 1969 and demolished the following year. In 1986, Bracknell Council took over the southern part of the estate, opening it up for recreation and providing the car park.

Ambarrow Hill is presumed to be of natural origin, and at one time the view from the top would have been impressive. In 1792, George III was said to have been far from satisfied with the army, a nd ordered manoeuvres to take place, which he watched from the top of the hill. In 1935 it was used by cadets in the Wellington College Training Corps to practise taking compass bearings on churches and other landmarks in the Wokingham and Yateley areas. In more recent times, most of the hill has become covered by trees. The exception is a clearing at the summit which is a legacy of the 1987 storm, but if you take the short but steep climb to the top all you will see as you pause on the seat is surrounding trees, rather than the features used by the cadets.

Since 2002 the Council part of the site has been designated as a nature reserve. From the car park a well-surfaced path meanders around the perimeter through varied trees and with some open spaces. Here, spring brings displays of daffodils and snowdrops followed later by bluebells. A short distance from the car park there are now picnic tables in a clearing close to the foundations of the old house, and here there is an information board with old and recent photographs.

Nowadays the boundary between the two halves of the property is indistinct, and you can wander freely between them. It is good to see the two areas re-united with common themes of recreation, conservation and access, albeit under separate ownership.

This page is based on an article in the SEBA newsletter dated July 2010.