Ampton
Ampton is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk District of Suffolk, England, about five miles north of Bury St Edmunds.
| Ampton | |
|---|---|
Church of St Peter & St Paul | |
Ampton Location within Suffolk | |
| Area | 14.15 km2 (5.46 sq mi) |
| Population | 171 (2011) including Little Livermere & Timworth |
| • Density | 12/km2 (31/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TL8671 |
| District |
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| Shire county |
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| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bury St Edmunds |
| Postcode district | IP31 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
According to Eilert Ekwall the meaning of the village name is 'Amma's homestead'.
According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 63, including Little Livermere and Timworth, increasing to 171 at the 2011 Census.
The parish is grouped with Little Livermere and Timworth to form a parish meeting.
Ampton currently has 13 listed structures within it, 12 of them Grade II listed and SS Peter & Paul's church being Grade I listed.
At the church hang four bells, with the heaviest weighing 8-1 cwt and dating from 1405.
Most of the village was designated as a conservation area on 5 March 1987.
The village's racecourse hosts the South Suffolk Show, an annual one-day agricultural show which was first organised in 1888.
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy FRS, the scientist who achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, was born in the village. He also coined the phrase ‘Weather Forecast’ when he founded the predecessor to the Meteorological Office.