Beautiful Bedfordshire - A walk from Flitwick to Ampthill Park - and possibly Katherine’s walk too

Описание: Ampthill is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population estimate of 8,100 (Mid year estimate 2017 from the ONS). It is administered by Ampthill Town Council. The ward of Ampthill which also includes Maulden and Clophill has an estimated population of 13,280 and is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Ampthill Park

Ampthill Park has a bit of everything - tremendous views from The Greensand Ridge, a fascinating heritage from Henry VIII to Capability Brown, and a diverse collection of flora and fauna.

The Park is most notable for being the site of Ampthill Castle where Henry VIII stayed and Katherine of Aragon spent a year whilst her marriage to Henry was annulled. Despite its name, this was actually a palace/manor house and not a traditional castle. Katherine’s Cross marks the site now and can be seen on the ridge if you follow the main path from the west car park. The Ampthill Camp Memorial Cross is also on the ridge.

The Greensand Trust helps manage Ampthill Park and other sites around Ampthill, on behalf of Ampthill Town Council.

We have also supported Ampthill Town Council in their successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund’s “Parks for People” programme which will provide enhancements to Ampthill Park and its Capability Brown-designed landscape, and plans to get more people involved in the Park and the project.

Download a map of Ampthill Park or here's a handy leaflet.

For further information on Ampthill Park visit Ampthill Town Council's website. For information on the Friends of Ampthill Park click here.

You can contact our Ranger Team based at Ampthill Great Park on 01525 840191 - the Duty Mobile for this park is 07511 702357.

Our ‘Walk of the Month’ for October is Katherine’s Walk which takes in the Greensand Ridge and the countryside to the west of Ampthill and Flitwick. One of our fantastic volunteers, Dennis, walked the route recently and gave his highlights.

Wildlife Spot – Green Tiger Beetles at Cooper’s Hill

You’ll find interesting and varied wildlife when exploring Katherine’s Walk. Our pick of the wildlife spots is Cooper’s Hill, where you can spot iridescent Green Tiger Beetles, Minotaur Beetles, birds and reptiles amongst the heather and gorse. Also look out for Pet Piggies premises on point 10 of our walking map, where you can encounter micro pigs that have starred in TV programmes, films and advertisements!

History Spot – Katherine’s Cross

There’s so much history to see when exploring Katherine’s Walk. This walk is named after Katherine of Aragon, who was imprisoned on the Ampthill Estate during the annulment of her marriage to King Henry VIII in the early 16th Century. Katherine’s Cross (Listed Building: Grade II), is a significant feature within Ampthill Great Park and was erected in 1773 as a garden feature in Capability Brown’s new landscape.

Pit Stop – Wooden Hill Coffee

Wooden Hill Coffee makes the ideal stopping point (50m south of Point 6 on our #KatherinesWalk map leaflet). They serve award winning environmentally friendly coffee, and roast their own high quality Fairtrade coffee beans! For more information head to our interactive map and search the ‘Food&Drink’ options, and Zoom in to the Millbrook area (near Ampthill).