Originally built in 1818 for William Berry, a wealthy businessman (comb maker) who had shipping interests in the estuary. Ashmeadow House was described as “a gentleman’s residence of character and distinction”.
The house was bought by John Barnes in 1900 and he converted it into a boys boarding school. Over the years, Barnes added a swimming pool, two fives courts, tennis courts, fishponds and an aviary. A special attraction was a model railway running through the plantation on the hill to the south of the house. Sadly, none of these facilities survived to the present day.