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Ampthill

This historic town, situated on a rise and with fine views over the surrounding countryside, was a great favourite with Henry VIII. It was here that Katherine of Aragon stayed during the divorce proceedings conducted by Henry’s court at Dunstable. At that time there was also a castle here, built by Sir John Cornwall for his bride, the sister of Henry IV. On the site now stands Katherine’s Cross, erected in 1773, which bears the arms of Castile and Aragon. On land given to his family by Charles II, the 1st Lord Ashburnham built the castle’s replacement, Ampthill Park, in 1694. The house was enlarged a century later and the 300-acre park was landscaped by the ubiquitous Capability Brown. Ampthill Park is famous for its old oak trees, and visitors can also enjoy the views from the Greensand Ridge Walk, which runs through the grounds. An attractive feature of the town is the Alameda (Spanish for a public walk), an avenue of lime trees 700 yards long, presented to the town in 1827 by Lord and Lady Holland. Ampthill also boasts some fine Georgian and early 19th-century buildings, especially in Church Street, Tudor almshouses and the large Church of St Andrew, which has a noble west tower. Inside can be found some 15th  century brasses and a 17th-century monument to Colonel Richard Nicholls that includes the cannon ball that killed him during the Battle of Sole Bay in 1672. Nicholls, who was born and lived most of his life in Ampthill, served the Stuart Kings and was commander of the force that defeated the Dutch at New Amsterdam. He re-named it New York in honour of the Duke of York, later James II.