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 The Ashley Bungalow was built in 1875 by the Bakers and their associates. As you enter from the east through the winding rubble and mud paved road, up on the hill is situated the Ashley Bungalow. The building stands, commanding a magnificent view facing South, at the opening of a ghat on the valley which flows down gently to the plains below. The road twists and turns around the hills through the tea gardens around the bungalow and reach at the three bayed high laden front of the building facing South. The bungalow is a sleeping place of history of the hills of Travancore, where tradition and antiquity lay asleep not easily to be woken up by a sudden knock at its door.
The tiled and steeply pitched roof adorns the building, with peaked roof tops standing on walls on the eastern and western flanks built like a fortress. The high laden building has steps with scalloped ledges which is a curious mixture of local styles and English architecture. This spacious home has lofty domed ceiling made of wood . There is a master piece wood work, separating the dining room from the drawing room The split leveled garden is landscaped with a green lawn fringed on the southern side with trees like Norfolk, pine, cypress, blue gums and spathodia. The thick foliages which lazily let the sun rays sieve through them, makes us feel the embrace of nature. The westerly wind sweep across the drawing room, set majestically with large doors among spans of glass running the full southern side. Seated there on the plush sofas you will feel like a King, and leisurely love to sip a cup of tea, made of leaf fresh from the gardens.
ACCOMODATION
The eastern side has two double rooms. The first is a huge one with massive cots and furniture made in abstract Victorian and mid-Victorian styles Cutting across to the dining room and further north, we come across the second largest bedroom neatly laid with its muscular looking furniture made of teak wood. The corner most bedroom on the east is good humorously called 'a honeymooners den" and is set up very quietly and is always totally undisturbed.
All four bedrooms have fire places and large bathrooms which are ventilated by opening the top half of the windows without loss of privacy. There is another single room with an attached bathroom which is also offered to the guests. The large windows and good wall space of the rooms join together effortlessly to give the bungalow an elegant look.ed floors, is still kept in its old grandeur.
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