Page 12 - Oundle Life April 2023

A LIFE
WELL
LIVED
Dame Miriam Rothschild
Philanthropist, war hero, conservationist, and leading expert on zoology, entomology, and parasitology, Dame Miriam Rothschild was a woman of exceptional talents and drive and remains one of Oundle’s most famous
and distinguished daughters.
The Ashton Estate lies just a few miles east of Oundle. It’s a beautiful location for a stroll in the woods and a pub lunch, but it was also home to one of the most distinguished women the area has ever produced.
for wildlife and in particular, butterflies.
He also engaged William Huckvale to build Ashton Wold House, replacing the crumbling Elizabethan ruin that existed on the same spot.
Miriam had clearly inherited her father’s love of nature
The village of Ashton was also rebuilt, as was The Chequered Skipper pub which is still open for business today.
After his death in 1923, Charles’
wife Rozsika and his daughter Miriam inherited the estate. Miriam had clearly inherited her father’s love of nature and the gardens she created in Ashton Wold
The Estate was purchased by Lionel de Rothschild in 1860, at a time when the Rothschild family possessed the largest family fortune in the world. Lionel’s grandson Charles, was a noted entomologist and founder of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (now the Wildlife Trusts).
Charles turned part of the estate into Ashton Wold, a 54-acre biological Site of Special Interest, making it a perfect environment
were described as an ‘outstanding example of wildflower and grassland gardening.’ Miriam’s expertise led to her advising Prince Charles (now King Charles III) when he was creating an experimental wildflower meadow at his Highgrove Estate.
An expert on entomology, zoology, and parasitology, Miriam was also a world authority on fleas, butterflies, pyrazines (organic compounds) and chemical communication,
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Image courtesy of: ©Andrew Lawson