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, Council for Independent Archaeology and the Bedfordshire Archaeological Council.

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 is also a member of 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.

A campaign by the Society in 1981 was largely responsible for ensuring that Segenhoe Church in Ridgmont 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.

In 2001 a publication by the 126th Coy Canadian Forestry Corps in WW1 was faithfully reproduced. It records the activities of the Foresters and contains original photographs and many names of the men involved.

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

Early 18th Century culvert and garden bridge in Silsoe
Early 18th. Century culvert joined to a garden bridge. Wrest Park Silsoe.

Katherine’s Cross, in Ampthill Park

Recent Work

Recent work by the Society has included development work with The Council for Independent Archaeology on the TR/CIA Geophysical Pseudo-section equipment which gives an electronic section of what is under the surface of the ground. Pseudo-sections are widely used in geology but the equipment and software has previously proved too expensive and cumbersome for archaeology. The TR/CIA equipment, designed to be used in conjunction with the TR/CIA resistance meter, overcomes these problems and has now been released for sale at a very reasonable cost.

Our small excavation carried out on a collapsed culvert in Wrest Park several years ago proved ideal for the test as it provided a known accurately drawn section which could be compared with a pseudo section taken across an undisturbed part of the culvert.

The above right photograph of the collapsed culvert and the section drawing published several years ago can be compared with the pseudo-section below produced recently.

The Society owns a complete set of equipment and is using it to explore the possible site of the demolished Maulden Manor in Maulden Church Field and the site of Ampthill Castle near the Katherine’s Cross in Ampthill Park

Brian Lazelle and Kevan Fadden helping Bob Randall who produced the equipment at work in Maulden Church Field

The results of the scan can be seen before leaving the site. The bottom section shows the underground features of the believed Maulden Manor. We are unable to excavate this site to confirm the readings as it is an S.S.S.I.

Ampthill Park

One of the features of Ampthill Park is Katherine’s Cross, erected in 1772 by Lord Ossory to commemorate Queen Catherine of Aragon, who was detained in “Ampthill Castle” while annulment proceedings of her marriage to King Henry Vlll were taking place in Dunstable. This society is trying to sort out a number of anomalies in the accepted story of this phase of our history. It is well known that a large Manor house was built in the park by Sir John Cornwall with ransom money gained from hostages taken at the battle of Agincourt 1415. The estate was bought by Edmond Grey of Wrest in 1454 but subsequently was forfeited to Henry Vll and it was in this house that Catherine was held by her husband Henry Vlll.

All visible structures have disappeared from the site but geophysical investigations by this Society in 2002 indicated a possible site for the Manor house with what appears to be a building within a large dry moat alongside to the west. The logical conclusion is that the latter is a Castle, probably of Norman date which preceded the Manor house - hence the perpetuation of the name Ampthill Castle. No historical record has been found of a castle on this site but a number of references within maintenance records of the manor imply that another building was in the area in the 1530’s. One quote is “mending of leads on the great tower standing on the west side of the manor”. Historical records are being pursued and pseudo-sections have been taken at strategic points. No excavation has been possible to date as it is a scheduled site. This is obviously a sensitive site with its royal connections.
Preparing to take a pseudo-section near Katherines Cross

Meetings

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.

The annual subscription is £8.00 per person. Membership forms plus further details are available from the Secretary: Jessica Watt, E-mail:

Visitors are very welcome.

A meeting fee of £2.00 for members, and £2.50 for visitors, is payable on the door.

Programme

October 6th 2008. "The Duke's withdrawal from Maulden". Marian McDowell

November 3rd 2008. "Easter Island and its connection with Ampthill" Bob Randall

December 1st 2008. "The Rediscovery of Wrest Park & its Future". Alex Sydney Head of Projects and Performance, East. English Heritage

January 24th 2009. Celebrity Lunch at Millbrook Village Hall, 12 Noon. Bedfordshire's Naval History. David Davies.

February 2nd 2009. "The Luton Riots" Keith Miles

March 2nd. "Katherine of Aragon in Ampthill" Roberta Calvert

April 6th 2009. AGM. Followed by talks from Society Members, with updates of work carried out during the year.

Committee

Chairman Kevan Fadden 0152540227

Vice- Chairman Brian Lazelle

Secretary Jessica Watt

Hon Treasurer Michael Turner

Louise Buckle
Martin Day
Clive Makin
Peter Wood
Ann Goodyear

The Annual Celebrity Lunch
will be on Saturday January 24th at 12.00 Noon in Millbrook Village Hall.

The speaker will be Dr. David Davis.

His subject “Bedfordshire’s Naval History”

Bookings through Mike Turner 01525 862285

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