Ascott House - Ascott Today

Ascott Today

Ascott House, with some of its important art collection and a small part of the estate, was given in 1947 to the National Trust by Anthony de Rothschild. The National Trust market the property under the name "Ascott". However, as at nearby Waddesdon Manor, the Rothschild family retain a very close control over Ascott, and the present resident of the house is the son of the donor, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. He has added further works of art and ceramics to the collection and much of what is seen in the collection is still privately owned by the Rothschild family.

Sir Evelyn de Rothschild has also expanded the estate to its present size of approximately 3200 acres (13 km²). The estate contains many miles of new road-side tree planting, well kept hedging, and cropping and planting of new woodland but retains some of the older permanent pasture and small fields. A new major new road, the A505 ploughs through the area between the house and its Stud Farm, but has been disguised by dense woodland planting.

There is no public restaurant or shop selling postcards. The guidebook has been out of print for years, and while a new edition is expected, as of 2007 it had yet to appear. The house retains very much the feel of a private house. The house is open to the public in the afternoon of most weekdays during summer.