Ampthill Park
Description
The Ampthill Park of today has a recorded history going back to 1086, at which time it was part of the grounds of Ampthill Manor, owned by a family named d'Albini. Later in the 15th century it was owned by a John Cornwall, who built 'Ampthill Castle', a fine manor house on the top of the Greensand Ridge.
The landscaped grassland and trees were ideal for hunting. King Henry VIII discovered this a little later in the 16th century and made frequent visits. He sent his first wife Katherine of Aragon to live at Ampthill while their marriage was annulled. The she was moved away and Henry returned to Ampthill with his new wife, Anne Boleyn, building a new lodge while the manor Ampthill Castle slowly fell into ruin at the top of the ridge. Katherine's Cross marks the site, where you can sense the history, surrounded by wonderful views of the adjacent countryside.
Many of the trees were planted by Capability Brown, others even older than that. The park covers a large area with a variety of grassland, shrubs and trees and offers a variety of walks.
For directions and more information see:
http://www.greensandtrust.org/pdfs/AmpthillGP.pdf
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