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Ampthill
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General
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A brief note about the area
A poltergeist whom the residents named Elizah A hanged man and the ghost of a small boy A ghostly knight in full armour The sounds of a phantom coach The ghost of a girl who was murdered with a scythe Strange shadows and a bottom pinching ghost Several ghosts and haunted room number 13 |
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The name Ampthill is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aemethyll which, unfortunately, means an ant-infested hill.
In August 1987 a report appeared in the ‘Ampthill and Flitwick Times’ about a haunting in Chandos Road, Ampthill. The owners described a mischievous ghost who used to hide items, these included cutlery, jam, spectacles and jumpers. In the house a sliding door was seen to move by itself even though it was very heavy and bowls and bread would fall off shelves of their own accord. The strange events had been going on for nine years since the family first moved to the house. One of the ghosts favourite ‘thefts’ was strawberry jam this would later return to the table by itself.
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The ‘Bedfordshire on Sunday’ newspaper once carried a story of a haunted hairdresser’s Hair Design and Beauty in Church Street, Ampthill. It was reported to have been haunted by at least two ghosts. One customer was said to have seen the image of a hanged man in an upstairs room. The owner decided to call in exorcists; this resulted in an end to that particular haunting. Even though the hanged man has gone a small boy is still seen regularly by staff and customers, again upstairs.
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Ampthill Great Park, landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, occupies a one hundred and twenty hectare site to the northwest of the town of Ampthill. In the park a ghost has been seen that was described as a “knight in full armour with a plumed helmet, riding a glorious white steed”. A full account was given in 1965 by an ex-policeman who was holidaying in the area. Whilst strolling through the park with his family he saw “the vague shape of a man on a horse who suddenly appeared from where the castle used to be and vanished near a small brook”. No records exist to explain who this rider may be or why he haunts this area though his emergence does correspond with the original location of the castle which is now marked by Katherine’s Cross. This memorial was erected in 1737 and is believed to commemorate Katherine of Aragon who lived for a while in the castle.
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In 1915 a resident of Ampthill was returning home from doing war work in a Luton factory to the small farm where her parents lived. Suddenly she heard the sound of horse’s hooves coming along the narrow lane on which she was walking. Fearing she would be injured she threw herself in a ditch. As she lay there she heard the pounding of the horse’s hooves and the jingling of harnesses as if a great coach was passing by on the way to Houghton House but when she looked there was nothing there.
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Around 1870 Bill Turner, Bedfordshire’s first real paranormal investigator, was staying at a friend’s house just off Ampthill’s main thoroughfare to help him tidy up the garden. Just after Bill’s friend and his wife had moved into the house they experienced a ghost. They were both in bed when the bedroom door opened wide and something entered. They could hear the sounds of someone staggering around then the words “Pull it out, please pull it out”. This was followed by more gasps and the sounds of pain and finally a terrible scream. This event repeated itself to Bill’s friend before Bill finally heard it for himself.
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In the Lounge Bar of the Queen’s Head shadows have been seen. In addition the radio in the lounge kept turning itself on, the family believe that this, and maybe other activity, was associated with the presence of one of the landlord’s son’s girlfriends. The same girlfriend also had a necklace taken. One of the female bar staff has even been slapped on the legs by an unknown and unseen assailant in the lounge bar.
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In the White Hart hotel in Dunstable Street there is a room which is supposedly haunted, conveniently the room is number thirteen. The White Hart is an old hotel with parts of the building dating to the fifteenth century not least the route to Room 13 which climbs two flights of wooden stairs followed by an eerie corridor where the old roof beams can be clearly seen. At the end of the corridor is a door that is propped open with an ironing board, this, apparently, is for the ghost.
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