The Ashridge Estate, close to Berkhamsted, Tring and Dunstable, is a very attractive place to visit with your family. Walks in the woodland, picnics on the grass or a cup of tea in the cafe – there’s always something to do. Our children like to climb on the giant fallen tree trunks and then eat icecreams .

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a beautiful young family at Ashridge – they wanted to get some family photos. At this time of the year, a location based shoot works really well. Children can run around with almost complete freedom and their parents can relax and enjoy the scenery. I worked from a distance, looking for natural, candid shots of the family – little Ethan and his cousin Harley were very cute and  a joy to photograph!

Here are some shots:

Children, Family, Out and About Ashridge

What beautiful weather we are having at the moment! It is a great time to be outside with family and friends making the most of it; football parties, bbqs, picnics and photo shoots.

I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely young lady, Sarah, over in the Ashridge estate. It was a warm, sunny morning and being a weekday, it was very peaceful. Here are some images from the shoot.

You may have guessed, Sarah is a musician! (http://www.saxjames.com/)

Out and About Ashridge, Location

Part 2

Here are a few more photos from the weekend shoot that I did at Ashridge.

Babies, Children, Family, Out and About Ashridge, Autumn, Berkhamsted, Dunstable, Large Group, Tring, Woodland

Part 1

On Saturday afternoon, I met a group of 15 for a photo shoot at the Ashridge estate. Thankfully the very gloomy morning had given way to a clearing sky! Once the group had arrived and our plan discussed, we went in search of a quiet piece of woodland with good colour and light.

Here are a few shots from our afternoon:

Children, Family, Out and About, Toddlers Ashridge, Dunstable, Gaddesden Row, Northchurch, Tring, Woodland

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year for an outdoor / on-location, photo shoot. The vivid colours of the trees make the most amazing backdrops on which to have your portraits. No it’s not such fun when the rain is pooring, but on a dry, crisp day, the children can have lots of fun running around, kicking leaves and of course playing with sticks.

Here are a few shots taken at the woods in the Ashridge estate very recently.

Give me a call if you would like to go out, have some fun and to make some family portraits of your own! 01442 870005

Family, Out and About Ashridge, Autumn, Location, Woodland, Woods

Within easy reach of Dunstable, Tring and Berkhamsted is some beautiful woodland and at the right time of year it is filled with a carpet of fragrant bluebells – it is a great location for photographers and families alike. Late April to early May is when they seem to appear and they flower for just a few weeks. So where is this spot?

Here's where to find the bluebells

Click on the map for a bigger version. It’s part of the National Trust land not far from Ringshall on Beacon Road (which continues to Ivinghoe Beacon). The woodland isn’t too big, and there are plenty of places through which light can enter (important for those pictures!). It can get very busy in the day time with lots of families, couples and photographers heading there. I was at the wood last Friday at 7.50am with my two sons, and even at this early hour, there were 3 or 4 other photographers at work.

School boy Portrait

If you are heading to the wood with your family and want an ice cream, then the afternoon is a great time to be there. Across the road from the wood, there’s an area set out as a car park and during busy times, an ice cream van is frequently found attracting a queue of children with parents.

If you are wanting to take any wide angle woodland pictures without people in them. You will need to get there early or late and definitely in the week. Even close up portrait work is much easier when the crowds aren’t present!

Here are a few shots of the wood.

Bluebells

Toddler Portrait

Here are a few local, low-cost, outdoor ideas for having fun with your children.

Cassiobury Park, Gade Avenue, Watford

This park has 3 large paddling pools, min 1 inch – max 1’6″ deep, clean, supervised and free! There are toilets, a snack bar and an ice cream van! There is also a playground, a little train ride, and masses of grassy open space with big trees.

Hockeridge Wood, Berkhamsted

This small wood has trees with plaques which the children love to find and read. There is a map at the entrance and picnic tables in the centre.

Grovehill Adventure Playground, Hemel Hempstead

One of several adventure playgrounds in the Hemel Hempstead area. It is free, managed and supervised and during holiday times has a schedule of activities. See the Dacorum website for more information.

Verulum Park, St Albans

At the playground

A wonderful park which extends from the museum right up to the Cathedral. It has a small, free, but unsupervised, pool in a grassy enclosure (bring your own shade), a large lake, paths for cycling, crazy golf, a café, a good playground, and, during school holidays, a tiny funfair for younger children. Toilets are in the café and at the museum car park

Aldenham Country Park, Aldenham

For £4 per car you get a lake which you can cycle/push prams around, a toddlers’ park, adventure playground, animals, a small café, picnic tables and toilets. Also visit Pooh’s 100 Aker Wood – a field with mock ups of homes and sites from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Take a book with you to identify the various houses, but don’t expect any of the characters to be at home!
Wendover Woods For £1.50 (£2 weekends and bank holidays), or 50p after 4pm, you can have the run of this fabulous environment; acres of walking, tracks which a large wheeled pram could negotiate, an invalid trail (for toddler walking, tricycles, dolls’ prams etc), a playground, toilets, ice cream van, picnic tables and barbecue stands.

Ashridge Estate, Ringshall, and Ivinghoe Beacon

Ashridge Estate

Absolutely free, acres of woodland to run around on between Northchurch and Ringshall on the B4506. At the monument you will find two paths, which are good enough for prams or bikes, toilets, baby changing facilities, a National Trust gift shop, visitors’ centre and a café. You can climb the monument at weekends and on bank holidays.

Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade Road, Kensworth, Dunstable

Go to Dunstable Downs on a warm breezy day to see gliders and paragliders taking off and landing, kite flying and fantastic views of the Vale of Aylesbury. There is a gift shop (selling kites), a visitors centre, a snack bar and toilets. The national trust website has further information.

Tring reservoirs, near Marsworth

Watching the boats go by

Ducks, geese and huge fish to feed, narrowboats to watch at the locks, a bird hide which children love peering out of, and an excellent teashop offering mango tea and homemade cake, not to mention a pub too! Walk or cycle around the reservoirs and along the Grand Union Canal Walk, maybe venturing along the newly restored Wendover Arm beyond Tringford Pumping Station.

College Lake Wildlife Centre, Tring

A 250 acre former chalk quarry with a fun circular walk taking in 14 bird hides (which the children love), a small folk museum, some small outdoor caged birds and animals, a wildlife trail, a children’s bird-watching area, a pond-level hide with a squirrel assault course, and a charcoal burner’s encampment. Have a look at www.bbowt.org.uk for more details.

Nicky Line Bike Trail and other cycle routes

This bike trail follows the track of a disused railway line which ran from Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead. Check out www.sustrans.org.uk for loads more ideas.

Waddesdon Manor Gardens, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Formal gardens, large lawns, a children’s playground, and an aviary. See www.waddesdon.org.uk.

Chenies Manor House, Chenies (between Chesham and J18 M25)

This has beautiful gardens, two mazes and a physic garden, as well as a pleasant tea room.

Batchworth Lock Canal Centre and Lakes, Rickmansworth

Spitting feathers

The Canal Centre is open in summer on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays, 10am – 3pm, and Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays 11am – 5pm and costs nothing. You also can take a ride on the Batchworth Ferry from Stockers Lock and explore historic ‘Roger’, the last wooden boat to trade on the Grand Union. Nearby are a number of lakes (no charge to visit) which are brilliant for kids. There is a small playground, paths for biking/walking, and birds, sailing and waterskiing to watch. Use the Aquadrome car park, signposted from Rickmansworth.