72 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



tical religious beliefs, her shameful treatment, 

 seems to haunt for ever the Gardens and Park. 



The present house was never Katherine's home. 

 The old castle where she spent those weary days 

 awaiting her sentence has ceased to exist ; the 

 Parliamentary survey of Ampthill, made as far back 

 as 1649, speaks of "the castle as long ago totally 

 demolished." It must have been a regal building, 

 this castle built by Lord Fanhope in the early years 

 of the fifteenth century, with its turrets, towers, and 

 courts. Close to the site of the old castle which 

 stood on much higher ground than the new house 

 is still to be seen the brickwork of an old well, 

 encircled by a group of fine Elms. Of this spot 

 one of those pretty stories woven about most great 

 houses is told. The legend describes Queen 

 Katherine as sitting here under the Elm trees 

 with her maids when she received the news of 

 her divorce from the King. 



The house, though lower in position than the 

 castle, possesses a beautiful view over the Vale 

 of Bedford, and is little changed since it was built 

 by Lord Ashburnham in 1694. Plain in type, it 

 possesses two deep, projecting wings, a big frontage 

 pierced by many windows, and an angular pedi- 

 ment bearing the arms of the late Lord Ossory. 

 The chief entrance is reached by a flight of 

 steps. 



The water-colour drawing of Ampthill shows a 



