Ampthill & District Archaeological & Local History Society

 Our logo is an accurate drawing of a bronze 3/4th Century zoomorphic shut knife handle found in excavation at Ruxox. It shows a dog chasing a young boar. The blade would have folded into the handle. The steel pivot pin and a little of the blade still exists. It is unusual as most such knife handles are of dogs chasing a very stylized hare, occasionally they are made of ivory. This one can be seen in the Bedford Museum. 1991/160.1.
The Society, founded in 1962, is a member of the Council for British Archaeology and the Bedfordshire Archaeological Council.

Exhausted diggers after a hard morning.
Exhausted diggers after a hard morning.

It has carried out excavations at Beadlow Priory, Ruxox Roman Villa, the Manor Way area of Flitwick, Ampthill By-Pass and other sites in the district. The artefacts discovered have been deposited in Bedford Museum. Reports of archaeological work are published in Bedfordshire Archaeology (formerly Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal) or in Society produced papers.

The Society has joined the British Association for Local History, is a founder member of the Bedfordshire Local History Association and researches the history of local villages and their inhabitants. In 1973 the Society published Flitwick: A Short History and a revised version of this is in the course of preparation.

A campaign by the Society in 1981 was largely responsible for ensuring that Segenhoe Church was kept as an ancient monument.

Other publications are Ridgmont: An Edwardian Cameo (1991) and Flitwick: A Vanishing Village (1992), recording scenes from the villages in previous times. Further volumes are planned to cover other villages.

Indoor meetings are held during the winter at Flitwick Library on the first Monday of the month, from October to April (not January), and summer outings to churches and other places of historic and archaeological interest are arranged.

A newsletter is issued two or three times a year, it usually includes articles on research, carried out by members of the Society.

The annual subscription is £10.00 per person. Membership forms plus further details are availablefrom the Secretary.

All evening meetings will be held in the Flitwick Library lecture room at 7.45 p.m. on the first Monday in the month from October to April, except for January. Visitors are very welcome.

Secretary: Jessica Watt
E-mail:

Early 18th Century culvert and garden bridge in Silsoe
Early 18th Century culvert and garden bridge in Silsoe

Measuring up an air raid shelter in Eversholt
Measuring up an air raid shelter in Eversholt

Escape Hatch
Escape Hatch

2007/8 Winter Programme

October 1st. “Excavations along the Icknield Way near Letchworth”. Paul Palmer

November 5th. “Organ making using traditional methods”. John Smith

December 3 rd. “Recent Excavations at Bonnaventa on the Watling Street”. Steve Young

January 26th. Celebrity Lunch at Millbrook Village Hall, 12 Noon. “19th Century Bedfordshire: Changes of Environment and Life Style”. James Collett-White. Further information from Michael Turner, 117 High Street, Clophill, Bedford MK45 4BJ

February 4th. “Reviewing and moving a major Archaeological collection at Luton Museum”. Tim Vickers

March 3rd. “Lost Houses of Bedfordshire”. Simon Houfe.

April 7 th. AGM. Followed by talks from Society Members, with updates of work carried out during the year.
Copies of Ridgmont: An Edwardian Cameo ISBN 0 9517887 0 1 and Flitwick: A vanishing Village ISBN 0 9517887 1 X are available at £6.95 and £7.95 respectively plus £1.00 p+p from Brian Lazelle 63, Ampthill Road, Maulden, Bedford, MK45 2DH. Cheques to the Society please.

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