Editing Ampleforth College (section)

==History==

[[File:Catholic Public School- Everyday Life at Ampleforth College, York, England, UK, 1943 D17351.jpg|thumbnail|left|Pupils work in the library at Ampleforth in 1943]]

The college began as a small school for 70 boys founded by [[Benedictine monks]], at [[Ampleforth Abbey]], in 1803.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abbey.ampleforth.org.uk/index.php?id=1184 |title=History of the Ampleforth Community| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811015655/http://abbey.ampleforth.org.uk/index.php?id=1184 |archive-date=11 August 2011|access-date=13 May 2012 }}</ref> 

The Abbey and school were built upon Anne Fairfax's generous donation of land. Fairfax herself had attended the [[All Saints Roman Catholic School, York|Bar Convent School]] in York, now known as All Saints. This connection has fostered a lasting partnership between the two schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bar Convent - Anne Fairfax |url=https://x.com/barconventyork/status/1764591619381112999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625190821/https://x.com/barconventyork/status/1764591619381112999 |archive-date=25 June 2024 |access-date=25 June 2024}}</ref>

The school formally constituted as a Catholic boarding school in 1900. Various buildings were slowly added, including the school theatre which was built in 1909. The first performances took place in 1910, and in 1922 a cinema projector was acquired, but could not be used until the following year when electric lighting and central heating were installed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.college.ampleforth.org.uk/activities/theatre/a-brief-history|title=Theatre – A brief history|access-date=13 May 2012|publisher=Ampleforth College|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419211521/http://www.college.ampleforth.org.uk/activities/theatre/a-brief-history|archive-date=19 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first boarding houses were founded in 1926 to accommodate the growing pupil numbers. In 1929, the Abbey gained ownership of [[Gilling Castle]] and opened a preparatory school. Gilling Castle Prep merged with the college's junior school in 1992 before taking on its current name [[St Martin's Ampleforth]] after absorbing another nearby prep school.

In 1998, girls were admitted for the first time when the [[sixth form]] became coeducational. The first girls' boarding house, St Aidan's, was opened in 2001, followed by St. Margaret's in 2004 to extend coeducation to the Year 9 intake.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.college.ampleforth.org.uk/pastoral/girls-houses/st-margarets|title=Girls' Houses – St Margaret's|publisher=Ampleforth College|access-date=1 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114161255/http://www.college.ampleforth.org.uk/pastoral/girls-houses/st-margarets|archive-date=14 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://guidetoindependentschools.com/business-directory/ampleforth/ |title=Ampleforth |date=8 February 2018 |accessdate=25 June 2024}}</ref> The college is now fully coeducational.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ampleforth College to admit Year 10 girls |url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/ryedale/4818554.Ampleforth_College_to_admit_Year_9_girls |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130806235521/http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/ryedale/4818554.Ampleforth_College_to_admit_Year_9_girls |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 August 2013 |work=[[York Press]] |date=23 December 2009 |access-date=1 December 2012 }}</ref>

Since the [[Catholic emancipation]], Ampleforth gained a reputation as one of several schools, alongside [[Downside School]], [[The Oratory School]] and [[Stonyhurst College|Stonyhurst]], popular within the Catholic aristocracy and labelled the "Catholic [[Eton College|Eton]]"; it has been noted, however, that falling academic standards have seen many Catholics turn away from the school.<ref>{{cite news|title=Have posh Catholics had their day?|url=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/july-3rd-2015/have-posh-catholics-had-their-day/|work=[[The Catholic Herald]]|date=2 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124153952/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/july-3rd-2015/have-posh-catholics-had-their-day/|archive-date=24 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== College tramway ===

In 1895, the [[North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom)|North Eastern Railway]] built a {{convert|3|foot|metre}} gauge tramway from [[Gilling railway station|Gilling]] station on the [[Thirsk and Malton Line|Thirsk to Malton Line]]. The tram was horse-drawn, and provided coal for the college to produce gas. It also transported passengers in open wagons. The tramway closed in 1923 when the college changed to electric lighting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gilling Railway Station|url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/g/gilling/index.shtml|website=Disused Stations|access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref>