▁Ash ley ▁Great ▁and ▁Little ▁Commons ▁were ▁incl osed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁Ash ley ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁was ▁just ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁people . ▁William ▁Charles ▁Ret ford , ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁mak er ▁of ▁viol in ▁b ows , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ash ley ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁He ▁would ▁later ▁publish ▁his ▁mem ories ▁of ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁Ash ley : ▁I ▁was ▁born ▁( J une ▁ 1 8 7 5 ) ▁in ▁a ▁c ott age ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Ash ley ▁Road ; ▁situated ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁l ane ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁hill ▁by ▁the ▁bro ok . ▁This ▁spot ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" L itch ford ". ▁As ▁a ▁tiny ▁tot ▁it ▁had ▁the ▁elements ▁of ▁a ▁fair y land ▁to ▁me . ▁Fern ▁Hill ▁woods ▁were ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁l ane , ▁east ▁were ▁a ▁narrow ▁me adow ▁and ▁Ash ley ▁Ar ne wood ▁woods . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁these ▁were ▁a ▁car pet ▁of ▁blue b ells ▁through ▁which ▁I ▁w aded ; ▁they ▁were ▁shoulder ▁high ▁to ▁me . ▁We ▁never ▁entered ▁Fern ▁Hill ▁Wood s ; ▁they ▁were ▁a ▁game ▁reserve ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁not ices ▁saying ▁" B ew are ▁of ▁Spring ▁G uns ." ▁On ▁the ▁north ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁l ane ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁hill ▁to ▁Ash ley ▁Cross ▁Road ▁wild ▁da ff od ils ▁grew ▁by ▁thousands ,