Mystery gravestone in Ampthill leaves residents baffled

Ampthill residents have been left puzzled by a mysterious gravestone which has suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the town.

A metal plaque with the enigmatic inscription: ‘Here lies the Greatest Coursing Man of all time – The John Davis. Lived for the Land & Died on the Land.’

A picture of a lurcher-type dog chasing a hare has been carved into the stone underneath.

But nobody in Ampthill knows who John Davis was or why the 2ft memorial has been placed there.

It is surrounded by fresh flowers which are renewed during the early morning every few days although nobody has seen them being left.

An empty can of Guinness has also been strategically placed next to the gravestone, suggesting Mr Davis liked the Irish tipple.

And a cuddly toy bear called Little Singing Alfie hangs from a nearby fence.

Councillor Paul Duckett said: “I have made inquiries but the town council knows nothing about this.

“It seems a young man called Davis was killed in a motorcycle accident there some years ago but this appears to be a different person.

“We think this John Davis came from the Sandy area, about 15 miles away, and was involved in hare-coursing across the region.”

The tombstone is on the edge of Ampthill Great Park which was the centre of a famous treasure hunt ago during the 1990s after author Kit Williams buried a golden hare there for his book Masquerade.

Resident Charlie Garth added: “It may just be a coincidence but it is strange this gravestone should suddenly pop up on the park boundary on the road to Bedford.

“It says that John Davis is buried there but that would be highly illegal without permission of the authorities.

“Nobody knows who he is. The plaque says he is the loving brother of Alf, Bob, Jim and Ruby. But nobody knows who they are either.

“Somebody obviously secretly tends the site because the flowers are replaced every few days while fastened to a nearby lamppost are cards ‘Sending Love to the Best Dad’ and ‘In Memory of Grandad’.

“Nobody in the town ever sees them doing it though. They must come early in the morning or late at night.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCSA said: “Hare coursing is an illegal, barbaric blood sport that sees hare cruelly chased, caught and killed by dogs.”