Ampthill Great Park

A phantom soldier on horseback has been seen here but while others describe him as wearing shining armour, and carrying a brightly decorated shield and a pennant, some say he is grey and misty and lacks substance and definition. One witness said that he appeared where the castle used to be and disappeared near a small brook. He does not seem to have been seen for some time.

Researcher Nat Dog, host of Weird in the Wade confirms the above story, saying that the knight ("in shining armour") was seen in the early 20th century and that in addition to the shield he also had a long, sharp lance and rode out from Katherine's Cross and then across the park. Nat says that some described him as "bold and solid-looking" while others described him as sometimes ethereal and mistier. He was seen by policemen and soldiers stationed nearby in the First World War. There may be another phantom rider, described as dressed in highwayman's garb, and is sometimes headless. He is said to be "Galloping Dick", Richard Ferguson who was executed in Aylesbury in 1800. The sound of horse hooves (but no visible steed) heard in nearby Millbrook have been attributed to him.

Link: Bedford Today

Link: Weird in the Wade

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