.•:¨*|* Ampthill Great Park *|*¨:•.

13th April 2009

Ampthill was granted royal honour by Henry VIII in 1542 and lies on the Greensand Ridge in stunning countryside.

Henry was a frequent visitor to Ampthill Castle and often hunted in the park, which despite its name was actually a palace/manor house and not a traditional castle. Katherine of Aragon lived there from 1532 until divorced in 1533, when she was moved to Buckden. The castle was built in the 15th century by Sir John Cornwall, later Lord Fanhope, from ransoms after Agincourt. After the divorce Henry returned with his second wife, Anne Boleyn to “expand” the park in a new lodge, whilst the castle fell to ruins.

On the site of the castle there is a cross erected by Lord Ossory in 1770, with an inscription by Horace Walpole on its base, bearing a shield with the arms of Katherine of Aragon. It is located off of Woburn Street the B530 (TL025385). There is plenty of parking and is a short walk from the west car park and the Ampthill Camp Memorial Cross is also on the ridge.

Each year Ampthill hosts its Aragon Day Festival, which was launched in 2003 to mark the 470th anniversary of Queen Katherine of Aragon leaving Ampthill 'castle' after learning that her marriage to Henry VIII was annulled. This year it is being held on July 25th.

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