Discover Ashwell

Ashwell combines impressive traces of the Middle Ages with a village walk, historic buildings and an unusual watermill. Those wishing to plan a trip with cultural discoveries will find several points of interest here: from archaeological remains and mill ponds to a church with remarkable details from different centuries.

Medieval traces and distinctive buildings

The Scheduled Monument includes parts of Ashwell’s medieval settlement, a watermill, mill ponds and gardens that belonged to a medieval manor house. The medieval settlement remains, along with the estate garden, watermill and mill ponds at Old Hall, are particularly well preserved as earthworks and buried archaeological deposits. This combination of settlement history, water engineering and garden design makes Ashwell an interesting destination for travellers who want to get to know a place not only through its present-day streets, but also through its historical layers.

The Medieval Settlement Remains, Watermill and Gardens at Ashwell are listed among Rutland’s Scheduled Monuments. It is also worth looking at Ashwell Old Hall: the building features walls of regularly coursed ashlar, red brickwork at the rear and a roof made of Collyweston slate. Details of this kind of craftsmanship give a visit a tangible visual dimension and provide talking points for different interests within a travel group.

Discover Ashwell on foot

A historic village walk through Ashwell is available with a printable map. The Ashwell Village Walk starts at Ashwell Village Hall and passes the Ashwell Wishing Well near the junction with Langham Road. This makes it possible to explore the village via clearly named stops. Families can use the walk as a shared discovery, while culturally interested travellers can focus particularly on the historical information and visible architectural details.

The Ashwell Wishing Well is an elaborate design from the mid-19th century with a religious message. Together with the settlement remains, mill and gardens, it creates a multifaceted picture of Ashwell: the village tells not only of medieval settlement, but also displays later religious and decorative influences. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether the focus of your trip should be on a historic walk, architecture or exploring the development of the village.

Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary stands in Ashwell’s largely undisturbed centre. The church dates mainly from the 14th century and was restored in 1851 by W. Butterfield. Inside is a wooden effigy of a crusader knight dating from between 1280 and 1320. Visitors are welcome to attend services. The church can therefore provide you with another fixed point of reference if you would like to include historic buildings and religious art in your travel plans.

The various stops can be combined conceptually into different days of travel without restricting Ashwell to just one theme. The medieval settlement, Old Hall, the Wishing Well, the village walk and St Mary each appeal to different interests. When looking for accommodation in Ashwell, it helps to weigh these priorities in advance and choose the holiday apartment according to the type of stay you are planning: a culture-focused visit, shared discoveries with the family or a trip centred on historic townscapes.

More travel ideas

For additional travel ideas, you can also explore Lyddington, Langham, Cottesmore, Seaton, North Luffenham, Morcott, Clipsham and Oakham.

To the main travel overview: Rutland.