The Charter Tower & Gardens. The former Bury stood on part of the land of Ashridge Monastery, given by King Henry VIII to John Waterhouse, his auditor at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. On his death, The Bury passed to Richard Coombe, who pulled down the old house and replaced it with another residence, an elaborate and sumptuous place according to the inventory of its owner, which remained there until 1790. This site is now marked by the internationally renowned walled Charter Gardens. A stone porchway forms the entrance to the gardens, on which the arms of Richard Coombe are carved. This tall tower built around 1595 is often referred to as the 'Charter Tower' because it is thought that Henry VIII may have stayed there in 1539 and granted the Market Charter as a mark of gratitude for the hospitality received.