Talk: The Cravens and Ashdown House

William Craven, born in 1548 in Yorkshire, joined the clothing trade in London when a teenager. He became one of the richest men in England and was made Lord Mayor in 1610. His son, also called William, built the Ashdown House hunting lodge on the Berkshire Downs near Lambourn in the 1660s. Reputedly it was to allow his close friend Elizabeth, (sister of Charles I and known as the Winter Queen), to get away from the plague in London. It remained in the Craven family until the 1950s when it was donated to the National Trust. This talk by John Farrow will give the background to the Craven family as well as pictorial descriptions of the House and the people associated with it.
John Farrow has been a National Trust guide at Ashdown House for nearly 20 years. He is an experienced speaker giving talks on a variety of topics including Avebury and the Wilts and Berks Canal.
To book a free ticket, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/4ma6v7mm
Bookings close 4pm the day before the talk.
West Berkshire Museum | Wednesday 18 November | 1pm | Free