▁and ▁east ▁front s ▁with ▁their ▁Class ical ▁fa ç ades . ▁The ▁original ▁plan ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁square ▁cour ty ard , ▁to ▁which ▁was ▁added ▁two ▁large ▁ground ▁floor ▁rooms , ▁with ▁additional ▁rooms ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁flo ors . ▁The ▁house ▁ ▁was ▁once ▁completely ▁c ren ell ated ▁along ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁par ap et ▁( or ▁shorter ▁walls ), ▁however ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁fort ifications ▁were ▁removed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁east ▁front , ▁with ▁its ▁seven ▁b ays , ▁remains ▁much ▁the ▁same ▁today . ▁ ▁The ▁surrounding ▁estate ▁park ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 ▁acres ▁features ▁a ▁ser pent ine ▁lake , ▁garden ▁orn aments , ▁a ▁notable ▁gro tto ▁and ▁a ▁ 1 0 0 0 - yard ▁a venue ▁of ▁be ech . ▁ ▁The ▁park ▁is ▁Gra de ▁II * ▁listed ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Park s ▁and ▁Gard ens . ▁ ▁Ash ley ▁family ▁ ▁The ▁Ash ley ▁family ▁were ▁originally ▁from ▁W ilt shire , ▁where ▁they ▁had ▁owned ▁the ▁man or ▁of ▁Ash ley ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century . ▁The ▁first ▁ancest or ▁to ▁res ide ▁in ▁W im bor ne ▁St ▁G iles ▁was ▁Robert ▁Ash ley ▁( born ▁c .   1 4 1 5 ); ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁fifth ▁great ▁grand father ▁of ▁Anthony ▁Ash ley - Co oper , ▁ 1 st ▁Earl ▁of ▁Sh aft es bury . ▁