Interactive Map

The Abbey Church provides an important focus for the spiritual life of the school where the entire community comes together to celebrate Mass on Sunday mornings.

Reception can be found in the Main Hall, which is also used as a central space for gatherings such as Parents' Day lunches. The Sixth Form also have access to their St Nicholas Common Room, which is just off the Main Hall with access to a lovely outdoor area for the warmer days.

The Theatre, a magnificent Gothic structure at the heart of the school, is the oldest purpose-built school theatre in the country and includes a large proscenium-arch stage that can be extended over the orchestra pit into the auditorium, with wooden galleries and raked seating. There is a smaller studio space below with a flexible stage that can be turned to a variety of acting and audience spaces. The building is a maze of interesting places including a huge costume store, set-making workshops, and Green Room.

The Old Music School is used for keyboard tuition and houses over a dozen high quality pianos, a two-manual harpsichord, and two pipe organs, as well as the rehearsal room for the College Schola (choir). The New Music School accommodates all other instrumental, vocal, and academic music teaching. There are 25 teaching rooms and two large performance halls.

In 2016, a large new Performing Arts Studio was opened with a semi-sprung floor, studio mirrors and ballet barres, a fixed cinema screen, a sound management system and retractable raked seating.

The Bamford Centre was opened in September 2000. This bespoke building contains 14 specialist Science labs dedicated to Biology, Chemistry and Physics respectively. Practical work is a key element of our Science teaching and all labs are fully equipped with state of the art science equipment together with technical support for each science subject. We are very fortunate to be very well equipped to allow cutting edge practical work including class sets of high quality microscopes, a PCR machine and gel electrophoresis tanks. Our budding scientists are lucky to be supported by three specialist Science technicians working from a central prep room. Science clubs, activities and competitions mean that all of our students can also explore Science beyond the confines of the curriculum being stretched and challenged along the way!

A purpose built Art and Design & Technology Centre with a fabulous 'Lightwell' exhibition space, large studios, printmaking and ceramics facilities, plaster room, excellent library, dark room and life drawing studio. The DT workshops include a design studio, technology rooms for electronics and robotics (Lego Mindstorms), and computer suites with Autodesk Fusion 360 and Techsoft 2D Design CAD software

Our beautiful library is furnished with famous 'Mouseman' oak carrels and the coats of arms of Ampleforth families. It provides a quiet and reflective space for pupils to focus on individual study

St John’s is a friendly boarding house for up to 65 boys in the centre of the main school: a robust building designed by Gilbert Scott, refurbished to feel like a family home. This reflects the culture of the House, which is intended by Housemaster Chris Starkey to reflect the best of the old and the new in boarding school life.

House lunch and supper are served in the Refectories, which are also used for House punches and other celebratory meals throughout the year.

St Hugh’s enjoys views out over the games fields and Ampleforth valley. Boarding accommodation is in dormitories of four for the first year, followed by twin en-suite rooms in the second and third year, and single en-suite bedrooms for the sixth form boarders.

St Margaret’s was founded in Fairfax House in 2004, located at the southern end of the campus, with views of the valley and playing fields. The House can cater for 70 girls. The first year girls sleep in dorms of four, second and third year girls have twin en-suite rooms and the sixth form have en-suite rooms.

St Edward’s and St Wilfrid’s House is situated in the northern half of Hume House, which opened as purpose-built boarding accommodation in 2001. From September 2020, it became home to Years 7 and 8.

St Cuthbert's & St Thomas' occupies Hume House, a modern building at the heart of our campus. The first-year students sleep in dormitories, usually of up to four or five other boys. In Year 10, boys share double rooms, whilst the majority of Year 11 boys are able to have a bedroom to themselves for their GCSE year. The Sixth Form enjoy single en-suite rooms, many of which enjoy outstanding views towards the Abbey Church.

Our well-equipped Infirmary is staffed and open 24/7 and includes a girls' ward, boys' ward, as well was twin and single rooms, a consulting room, treatment room and a quiet/counselling room.

Founded as one of the four original houses in 1926, St Aidan’s became Ampleforth’s first girls’ boarding house in 2001. Originally in the main building, above Big Study, St Aidan’s is now located at the east of the campus, between the infirmary and the Sports Centre and overlooking the valley on one side and the orchards on the other.

Our fully-equipped Sports Centre provides city standard gym and swim facilities including a fitness suite, sports hall, 25m swimming pool, squash courts, exercise studio, indoor cricket nets, and a high performance functional lifting and athletic development gym.

St Bede’s is one of Ampleforth’s four longest standing houses, located on Aumit Hill with views overlooking the valley. The house was founded in 1926 as a boys’ boarding house before the first girls moved into the carefully renovated building in 2006. Previous Housemasters include Cardinal Basil Hume. The house can cater for over 60 girls.

St Dunstan's and St Oswald's is situated in Bolton House overlooking the stunning Ampleforth Valley. Boarding accommodation is provided in small dormitories of six for the first three years, and then in single study bedrooms for the sixth form. The newly refurbished Bolton House provides light and spacious accommodation for the boys with plenty of recreation spaces and a beautiful Chapel with stained glass windows.

The Dallaglio Match Ground, named in honour of Rugby legend and Old Amplefordian, Lawrence Dallaglio, hosts our 1st XV's major fixtures during the autumn term.

The Valley boasts 5 Cricket pitches, 7 Cricket squares, 6 outdoor nets and 4 indoor nets at the St Alban's Sports Centre. The Pavilion is the hub of match day teas during the summer term.

The Upper Tennis courts offer an overflow from the main Lower Courts and are often used for parent and student matches during our annual Exhibition celebrations.

We have a 6 lane, 400 metre track and good facilities for all the throwing events and jumping events. The annual House Athletics Competition shows the fierce House spirit between the students.

The main Lower Tennis Courts boast 15 all weather Tennis courts and 8 Netball courts.

We have our own waxed sand/fibre 60 x 40m Outdoor Arena, which includes Dressage and Show Jump facilities and enhances the opportunities for day and boarding pupils to train and prepare for the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) and other events. We also have access to two stocked fishing lakes at the bottom of the Valley.

Hockey students have access to a full-size, flood-lit all-weather Astroturf pitch.

The Indoor Rifle Range is the central hub for our CCF cadets.

The Outdoor Rifle Range provides an area for target practice for our CCF cadets.

Adjacent to the Outdoor Rifle Range is an open space for Archery as part of Friday afternoon activities and Clay Pigeon Shooting throughout the year.