St Andrew’s Church Ampthill
St Andrew’s Church Ampthill has Saxon origins but the current church dates from the 15th century when Sir John Cornwall, a hero of Agincourt, paid to extend and expand the church to its current size. The church contains the grave and memorial to Richard Nicolls who named New York after his friend the Duke of York, later to become King James II.
The graveyard is in three sections: the original area surrounding the church, a Victorian extension and a 20th Century extension. All are now closed to new burials. The most prominent memorial is the Wingfield Angel, guarding the family grave of the Wingfield family, the occupants of nearby Ampthill House (which was demolished to make way for housing in the 1950s).
The entire site is a County Wildlife Site on the basis of its acidic and neutral grassland habitats. It also contains many magnificent trees. The PCC are actively managing specific areas of the graveyard to conserve and encourage grassland flowers and have been in receipt of a grant from the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership to assist in this. Wildflowers can be seen at any time of year but the highlights are snowdrops in early Spring and meadow saxifrage in late Spring.
Key Features
- Wildflower areas
- Wildlife haven
- Memorials with a famous or infamous connections
- Stones with stories
- Fascinating monuments
- War memorial
- Great for fungi
- Birders paradise
- Lichen haven
- Peaceful space for quiet reflection
- Lovely lychgate
- Good accessibility
Visitor Information
Main paths are tarmac, with a network of grass paths.
Parking available for around 3 cars to the rear of the church via Rectory Lane.