Facts and places of interest in Ampthill

Interesting Facts about Ampthill

• The name 'Ampthill' is Anglo-Saxon and translates to mean either 'ant-heap' or 'ant infested hill'.

• In 1242, King Henry III gave the town the right to hold a weekly market which has been held on a Thursday since that date.

• Ampthill used to have a castle and King Henry VIII visited on many occasions with his court. The castle no longer exists.

• Henry VIII's first wife Katherine of Aragon lived in Ampthill Castle whilst undergoing her trial at Dunstable Priory; her marriage was declared null and void.

• If you visit Amptill Park you can visit a cross, called Katherine's Cross, which was erected to mark Katherine of Aragon's time in Ampthill.

• Do you remember Kit Williams book ‘Masquerade'? Well, the base of Katherine's Cross in Ampthill Park was the place that the 'Golden Hare' was buried and eventually found.

• Ampthill has the second largest conservation area in Bedfordshire.

Places of Interest in and around Ampthill

Houghton House

The ancient monument known as Houghton House lies to south on the hill towards Amptill and overlooks the Marston Vale. The house was built in 1615-1621 on Crown land and is though to have been built by John Thorpe. It has been suggested that Houghton House is the ‘House Beautiful' referred to in John Bunyan's ‘Pilgrim's Progress'.

Ampthill's Almshouses

Ampthill's Almshouses can be found in Church Square and some date back to the 15 th Century.

Sports Centre in nearby Flitwick

There is a sports centre in Flitwick with a 25m swimming pool with kids pool attached. Lessons for children are very popular. The centre also has a gym, squash courts and gymnasium.

Flitwick Wood - Flitwick

Flitwick Wood is an ancient woodland which offers enjoyable walks with beautiful scenery. At the right time of year you will see the bluebells.

Flitwick Moor - Flitwick

Wrest Park - Silsoe

Wrest Park was the home of the De Grey family from the 13 th Century until 1917. The old manor house was demolished and the one that now stands of the site was designed by Thomas, Earl de Grey, in 1834 in the French chateaux style; it is the third house to be built on the site.

The gardens amount to 90 acres and were inspired by the gardens of Versailles in France and are formal in style with wooded walks and canals centred around the pavilion designed by Thomas Archer in 1710.

Later additions to the gardens include the Bath House and the Chinese Pavilion. The Orangery, Italian garden and Parterre were added in the 19 th century.

The house was used in the early 19th century as a residence for the US Ambassador, but it is now used by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering and is run by English Heritage.

Nearby at Flitton is the Grey Mausoleum, the family's burial place.

Regular events such as historical re-enactments take place in the grounds.