▁school . ▁ ▁Writ ers ▁Laur ence ▁H ous man ▁and ▁his ▁sister ▁C lem ence ▁H ous man , ▁who ▁lived ▁at ▁Ash ley ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁two ▁fort ified ▁b unk ers ▁known ▁as ▁pill box es ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁Ash ley ▁to ▁defend ▁against ▁a ▁possible ▁German ▁invasion ▁by ▁sea . ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁pill box es ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁a ▁field ▁in ▁Lower ▁Ash ley ▁today . ▁One ▁other ▁re lic ▁from ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁is ▁visible ▁on ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁corner ▁of ▁Ash ley ▁Cross ro ads . ▁The ▁car ▁repair ▁work shop ▁there ▁was ▁originally ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁hang ars ▁at ▁R AF ▁Be a ul ieu . ▁ ▁For ▁dec ades ▁a ▁major ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁has ▁been ▁gra vel ▁extra ction . ▁New ▁Mil ton ▁Sand ▁and ▁Ball ast ▁has ▁been ▁extract ing ▁gra vel ▁from ▁gra vel ▁p its ▁in ▁south ▁Ash ley ▁since ▁before ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁Because ▁Ash ley ▁has ▁no ▁defined ▁boundary ▁the ▁modern ▁population ▁of ▁Ash ley ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁estimated , ▁but ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁census ▁was ▁approximately ▁ 4 5 0 0 ▁people . ▁ ▁A men ities ▁A ▁para de ▁of ▁sh ops , ▁containing ▁a ▁convenience ▁store , ▁ph arm acy , ▁four ▁Take - A way ▁food ▁restaur ants , ▁two ▁ha ird