Page 2AMPTHILL WELCOME PACKIntroductionDear Resident or Future Resident,Welcome to the town of <strong>Ampthill</strong> to residents old <strong>and</strong> new.In this welcome pack you will find lots of useful in<strong>for</strong>mation about our town, includingclubs, facilities <strong>and</strong> useful phone numbers, email addresses <strong>and</strong> websites.<strong>Residents</strong> have commented, in the past that they have lived here <strong>for</strong> years withoutrealising the full extent of facilities, services <strong>and</strong> opportunities available, so the aim ofthis pack is to put that right.Please feel free to print off pages from the pack or the whole <strong>for</strong>ty page guide.Alternatively, you may wish to keep a copy on your computer <strong>for</strong> future reference. <strong>The</strong>aim is that the pack will be regularly updated.<strong>The</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation contained in the pack is exp<strong>and</strong>ed upon via <strong>Ampthill</strong>‟s two premierwebsites, <strong>Ampthill</strong> – <strong>Past</strong> Present <strong>and</strong> Future (www.ampthill.info) <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Ampthill</strong><strong>and</strong> District Business Directory (www.ampthill.org.uk). Both websites are thebrainchild of long time <strong>Ampthill</strong> Resident, Mark Smith, as is this Welcome Pack, with amission to keep the town in<strong>for</strong>med, engaged <strong>and</strong> empowered.You can additionally follow the latest in<strong>for</strong>mation about <strong>Ampthill</strong> via the <strong>Ampthill</strong>.InfoFacebook PageI‟m sure you will soon learn that our community holds so much <strong>for</strong> you <strong>and</strong> if you haveany questions please do not hesitate to get in touch. I would also ask that if you haveany suggestions <strong>for</strong> other in<strong>for</strong>mation that should be included in the Welcome Packthat you also contact me.I hope that you find the pack of use as you go about your daily lives.Yours sincerelyMarks SmithTel: 01525 402560Email: mark.a.smith@ampthill.org.ukWebsites: www.ampthill.info,www.ampthill.org.uk &www.marksmith.org.uk<strong>Ampthill</strong> is twinned with Nissan-Lez-Enserune, Francewww.nissan-lez-enserune.net
Page 3AMPTHILL WELCOME PACKBrief History of <strong>Ampthill</strong><strong>Ampthill</strong> is a Georgian Market Town with a more interesting <strong>and</strong> significant history than manytowns of a much larger size. With its attractive buildings <strong>and</strong> unique charm it rarely fails to castits spell on residents <strong>and</strong> visitors alike. Many of the town's Georgian fronted buildings can beseen from the Market Square. However, behind these facades lies a much older history. Withits many assorted shops, places to eat <strong>and</strong> rich history a visit to <strong>Ampthill</strong> has much to offer.<strong>The</strong> ancient market town of <strong>Ampthill</strong> is situated under the brow of the Greens<strong>and</strong> Ridge. <strong>The</strong>reis no clear evidence about the town's origin but it is thought it was once a Roman settlement.<strong>The</strong> first documentary evidence of a settlement on the site of the town is in the DoomsdayBook.<strong>The</strong> name '<strong>Ampthill</strong>' is of Anglo-Saxon origin, as the first settlement was called 'Aemethyll',which literally means either 'ant-heap' or 'ant infested hill'. In 1219, King Henry III confirmedthe right to hold a market on Thursday's in the town <strong>and</strong> this remains a fixture of life in <strong>Ampthill</strong>to this day.<strong>The</strong> town is associated with Henry VIII who often visited <strong>Ampthill</strong> <strong>for</strong> deer hunting <strong>and</strong> archerycontests. He chose to stay at the 15th century castle that once stood within <strong>Ampthill</strong> Park. Hiswife Katherine of Aragon was confined to the castle <strong>for</strong> three years during the annulment oftheir marriage. <strong>The</strong> castle no longer st<strong>and</strong>s, falling to ruins during the reign of Elizabeth 1st; itssite is marked by a stone cross, erected in 1773, known as Katherine's Cross. Coincidentally,Katherine's Cross gained additional fame in the latter part of the 20th Century, as it was at thebase of this monument that the 'Golden Hare' was buried, as detailed in Kit Williams book'Masquerade'.<strong>Ampthill</strong> Great Park, situated off of Woburn Street, is a great place visit as not only was it thehome of <strong>Ampthill</strong> Castle, but the l<strong>and</strong>scape we enjoy today was created by the renown 18 thCentury L<strong>and</strong>scape Designer Lancelot „Capability‟ Brown.<strong>The</strong> town is much older than its Georgian fronts with many buildings dating back to themedieval period. <strong>Ampthill</strong> boasts over 200 listed buildings. <strong>The</strong> four main streets lined withelegant houses <strong>and</strong> other buildings meet at the Market Square. <strong>The</strong> Square is dominated bythe clock tower (the clock came from the old Market hall on site of Richardson's, then movedto <strong>Old</strong> Moot Hall placed in new tower <strong>and</strong> given Cupola from <strong>Ampthill</strong> house). An obelisk pumpalso occupies part of the Square. It was a gift to the town in 1785 by Lord Ossory <strong>and</strong> was amajor source of water <strong>for</strong> the townsfolk <strong>for</strong> almost two centuries.St. Andrew‟s Church contains a monument dedicated to Colonel Richard Nicolls, the manresponsible <strong>for</strong> giving <strong>New</strong> York its name. In 1664, King Charles II gave his brother, James,the then Duke of York, all of the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Delaware. Richard Nicolls wasgiven the task of capturing the Dutch Colonial City of <strong>New</strong> Amsterdam, on Long Isl<strong>and</strong>, whichlay within this swathe of l<strong>and</strong>. He did so, by threatening to destroy the Dutch <strong>for</strong>t, on what isnow Manhattan Isl<strong>and</strong>, with a flotilla of British warships. <strong>The</strong> Dutch capitulated, <strong>and</strong> Nicollsupon accepting the surrender, renamed the city after his comm<strong>and</strong>ing officer, the Duke ofYork. He subsequently became the first colonial governor of <strong>New</strong> York. Nicolls was killed in anaval battle <strong>and</strong> the cannon ball that killed him is incorporated in the memorial plaque.John Bunyan's 'House Beautiful' in 'Pilgrim's Progress' Houghton House, widely acclaimed asthe inspiration <strong>for</strong> John Bunyan's 'House Beautiful' in 'Pilgrims Progress' (Published in 1678),is located to the north east of the town. It is contended that Bunyan used the l<strong>and</strong>scape ofBed<strong>for</strong>dshire, as the backdrop <strong>for</strong> his classic allegorical tale. Un<strong>for</strong>tunately, only ruins nowonce great house.
Change language