The Alameda

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting

The Alameda lies 10km to the south of Bedford, at the south-west corner of the centre of Ampthill. The original walk lies on a north-east to south-west alignment and extends for a distance of circa 0.5km from its entrance on Woburn Street to Cooper's Hill on the Greensand Ridge. A 1950s extension runs from Station Road in a in a north-north-west to south-south-east alignment for a distance of circa 0.36km to join the original walk at a point circa 0.28km along its length from the Woburn Street entrance.

The C19 walk is bounded on the north side by the grounds of buildings fronting Woburn Street and the playing fields of Alameda Middle School, with wooden picket fences forming the boundary. Enclosing its southern side are the gardens of houses standing on Alameda Road and Briar Close and the grounds of Alameda Middle School, with a combination of wooden picket fences, wooden panelled fences and brick walls forming the land division.

The circular area at the south-west end of the walk is enclosed by the heathland on Cooper's Hill, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The western boundary to the mid-C20 extension is also formed by the school grounds, again with wooden picket fences dividing the two, while its eastern side is bounded by the gardens to houses standing on Lyme Road and The Pines, along with the grounds of Clevedon Nursery and an access road to the Lime Tree Court housing estate at its southern end.

Entrances and Approaches

The main entrance to the Alameda is through the Alameda Gate (listed Grade II) on Woburn Street. It comprises a central gateway with wrought-iron gates hung on brick piers with flat concrete caps and Coade stone urns. Flanking pedestrian gates have brick end piers topped with late-C20 ball finials. The entrance to the extension on Station Road is open to the street.

Principal Building

The principal structure is now the First World War Memorial (listed Grade II) which occupies the centre of the circular space at the south-west end of the walk. Erected in 1921 to the designs of Sir Albert Richardson, in partnership with Charles Lovett Gill, it is constructed from Portland stone and takes the form of a cenotaph, raised on a two-tiered plinth, which in turn stands on a polygonal plinth.

Gardens and Pleasure Grounds

The public walk starts at the main entrance on Woburn Street and comprises a non-metalled footpath that proceeds gently uphill in a north-east to south-west alignment in a long straight avenue for a distance 0.5km before terminating in a circular area with the First World War memorial at its centre. The walk is flanked on each side by a grassed areas planted with a double avenue of lime trees, probably the original planting scheme, while the circular area is bounded by a line of Scots pine behind which is a line of holly trees. A wooden kissing gate at the south-west end of the walk, set within in the line of holly trees, provides access onto the heathland of Cooper's Hill.

A second linear walk, laid out in the 1950s, starts from Station Road and proceeds gently uphill in a north-north-west to south-south-east alignment for a distance of 0.36km to meet the early-C19 walk at a point circa 0.27km along its length from the entrance. On its west side is a grassed area planted with a single avenue of lime trees while a non-metalled footpath lies on its east side. Running parallel with the footpath on its east side is a small stream. This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 08/06/2016

Reasons for Designation

The Alameda, a town walk laid out between 1821 and 1827 by Henry Vassall Fox, 3rd Baron Holland, and his wife, Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Baroness Holland, with a 1950s extension, is registered at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

• Design interest: as a relatively simple but highly effective design which uses the natural fall and rise of the ground surface and tree canopy to provide considerable visual interest;
• Rarity: as a rare example of an early town walk, especially one situated in a small rural town;
• Intactness: it survives in relatively good condition, retaining its original design and boundary delineation;
• Historic interest: as the setting for a First World War memorial, which gives it added poignancy;
• Group value: it has strong group value with the First World War memorial at its south-west end (listed Grade II), the entrance gates on Woburn Street (listed Grade II), and Ampthill Park (registered Grade II).