Today on the blog we would like to commemorate Keith Blaxhall, who died last Saturday. Keith was Head Warden at Ashdown House for many years, loved the estate deeply and always spoke of what a very special place it is. He was hugely knowledgeable about all aspects of Ashdown and was always generous in sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. I know many colleagues and friends will have their own special memories of Keith. I will always appreciate the time he took to encourage my writing about Ashdown and make available to me all the papers and documents he had on the history of the house and the estate. We had many chats about different aspects of the estate's history, from Bronze age archaeology to the Second World War airfield. He showed me the holloways running through the woods and where the rare Herb Paris grows.
Keith was also very active in the
Coleshill Auxilliary Research Team and in their tribute to him they write: "He leaves a wife and family and a huge void in the hearts of local historians." A beautiful summary of Keith's contribution and the impact of his loss. Thank you, Keith.
