Cariboo Map Ashcroft Manor Pollards Cornish Ranch and Roadhouse | 
A roadhouse known as Ashcroft House was established and the brothers began developing a farm that extended over 6000 acres of land and kept over 1500 head of cattle. Clement Cornwall comments in his diary: The roadhouse was only a small part of the business that the Cornwalls ran. Cattle ranching was their primary concern, but the Cornwalls had a market garden as well. The Manor also had its own sawmill which was run by a waterwheel. Later, the sawmill was converted into a grist mill. The brothers hired labor, but the Cornwalls were also known for the hard work they put into the operations at the ranch. June 9th, 1862: Ashcroft House or "The Upper House", as it was called, was a single storey log building with a steep shake roof, and was ready for occupancy by end of October 1862. In December 1862, the brothers decided to build a larger house beside the trail where the wagon road would soon pass through their property. The construction of Ashcroft Manor or "The Lower House", began in 1862 and was completed in 1864. The original building was 20 by 40 feet and was situated on 320 acres of land. There were two rooms in the attic of "The Lower House" where the travellers were to sleep and a large kitchen. The Cornwalls' new road house opened on 3 April 1863 and included a saloon. One of the hired managers later became premier of B.C. Charles A. Semlin. By 1865 the brothers' ranch was established well enough that they turned their attention to the building of a racetrack on a field beside the roadhouse. The Manor, with its roadhouse, quickly became the social center for the area as the Cornwalls attempted to recreate the "sporting life" of England that they had left behind. In 1870 the brothers held Fall Races at the track and fox hunting was then introduced. The manorhouse was destroyed by fire in 1943 but the roadhouse survives. Ashcroft Manor is located 10 kilometers south of Cache Creek and is open today year round. Read more about the history of Ashcroft Manor!   
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