Owing to their Catholic faith, the Howards later had their titles and lands attainted by Elizabeth, but they were restored in 1603 when the Stuarts took the throne.

Sir Robert "erected a noble residence" and a park, enclosed with a wall, finished in 1684.

[7] He also planted considerable numbers of trees, including a wych elm that was 40 feet in circumference two centuries later.

[11] Howard commissioned architect Samuel Wyatt to develop its grand façade from earlier designs by Joseph Bonomi (1739–1808), who had frequently stayed at Ashtead.

[5] At age 14, Wyatt had been taken to Rome by Richard's brother Lord Bagot to study architecture and painting under the care of a master named Vicentini.

[15] The house was bought by Sir Thomas Lucas, 1st Baronet in 1880 and enlarged and altered at major expense.

[16] Headmasters House is an architecturally imposing red brick development which also forms part of the school campus.

Fauna include the broad-bodied chaser and emperor dragonfly and the common blue damselfly.