King John is documented as having stayed frequently at Ashley, possibly in connection with hunting expeditions in the royal Forest of Bere - of which the nearby river Test formed the western boundary at the time.
Det er dokumenteret at Kong John ofte boede på Ashley, givetvis i forbindelse med jagtselskaber i den kongelige Forest of Bere - hvor den nærliggende flod Test var den vestlige grænse på dette tidspunkt.