 King John is documented as having stayed frequently at Ashley, possibly in connection with hunting expeditions in the royal forest of West Bere (also known as Bere Ashley), part of the Forest of Bere, of which the nearby river Test formed the western boundary.Official crown business is known to have been transacted from the castle, as a number of royal letters from this era are headed 'Ashley'.Ashley was the administrative headquarters of the royal forest of West Bere or Bere Ashley, which stretched from the river Itchen to the river Test.