Woburn Abbey and Gardens

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Woburn Abbey and Gardens

Woburn Abbey and Gardens are currently closed for a major refurbishment project.
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Woburn Abbey has been the home of the Earls and Dukes of Bedford for nearly 400 years and is still very much a family home.

28/11/2025

Flying the flag of the county on Bedfordshire Day

18/09/2025

Notice: Air Raid Siren Test at Woburn Abbey

Please be aware that there will be a planned test of the historic Air Raid Siren at Woburn Abbey on Thursday 25th September at 9:30am.

The siren will sound for a few minutes and may be audible in the surrounding area.

This test is being carried out to ensure the siren is in full working order before it is reinstated on the roof of the Abbey.

Thank you for your understanding.

16/07/2025

Woburn Abbey Treasures Travel to The Hague for Major International Exhibition

In celebration of the birthday of Sir Joshua Reynolds on 16th July, Woburn Abbey is pleased to announce its participation in a prestigious international exhibition at the Mauritshuis, The Hague, in collaboration with Holkham Hall and Burghley House.

Entitled The Grand Tour – Destination Italy, the exhibition explores the British tradition of collecting and the enduring cultural legacy of the Grand Tour. It brings together exceptional works from three of Britain’s most distinguished stately homes, offering Dutch and international audiences a rare opportunity to view objects that have shaped aristocratic taste and intellectual curiosity over the centuries.
Among the highlights from the Woburn Abbey collection are:
Two paintings by Canaletto, acquired by the 4th Duke of Bedford during his Grand Tour in the 1730s
A portrait of Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, depicted amidst Grand Tour acquisitions – a particularly fitting inclusion as we commemorate the artist’s birthday

The exhibition also features a range of objects that reflect the spirit of the Grand Tour, including classical antiquities, fine furniture, and decorative arts.

Together, these works illustrate how travel and cultural exchange profoundly influenced the formation of Britain’s great collections.

06/07/2025

On this day in 1766, John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, was born at Woburn Abbey - a figure whose legacy continues to shape the landscape of Bedfordshire.

A visionary patron of the arts and landscape design, the Duke played a pivotal role in transforming the Gardens at Woburn Abbey. In 1805, he commissioned the renowned landscape designer Humphry Repton, whose celebrated Red Book for Woburn Abbey laid out a bold vision for the estate. This commission became one of Repton’s most fully realised works, blending natural beauty with refined design in over 28 acres of gardens and 3,000 acres of deer park.

Their collaboration marked a golden era in English landscape history, one that continues to inspire garden lovers and historians alike.

28/06/2025

in 1838, Queen Victoria was crowned in a ceremony that would define the spirit of a new era.
Among the distinguished guests was Anna Maria Duchess of Bedford, whose personal order of service from the coronation remains preserved in the Woburn archives — a remarkable piece of history that offers a first-hand glimpse into the grandeur of the day.

The Duchess’s order of service is more than a document — it’s a window into a world of tradition, ceremony, and influence.

19/06/2025

in 1724, at around 5 o’clock in the afternoon, a fire broke out in the centre of Woburn village destroying the medieval market, barns, stables, 39 homes and caused serious damage to many others.

Letters calling for charitable support were circulated to nearby villages and towns with the aim to raise funds for those who had been most severely impacted by the blaze. One of the known letters was addressed to “all Charitable and Well-disposed persons to whom these Presents shall come”, and that “these Unfortunate Persons will be looked upon with an Eye of Pity and Compassion, and excite that Charity which their profound Misfortunes loudly call for.”

The fire is said to have broken out in Bedford Street. Many of the buildings were rebuilt, or refaced following the rebuilding efforts following the fire’s destruction, resulting in the village’s distinctive Georgian character, often masking older medieval structures. This plan shows how the village had rebuilt and rejuvenated by 1738.

A century later, Stephen Dodd wrote: “The town soon rose, like a Phoenix from its ashes, with additional lustre; proving in this, as in many other instances, that misfortune, instead of a curse, frequently turns out a blessing”

16/06/2025

Rooted in centuries of horticultural excellence, the gardens at Woburn Abbey demonstrate the artistry, sustainability, and seasonal richness of our native flora.

From the historic Humphry Repton-designed landscapes to the refined elegance of the Camellia House, each corner of the gardens reflects a commitment to the cultivation and celebration of British blooms.

This week provides an opportunity to recognise the vital work of growers, florists, and designers who continue to champion traditional practices and ecological responsibility.

We look forward to welcoming visitors back to explore the gardens and experience the splendour of British flowers in their natural setting.

11/06/2025

Woburn Abbey - the West Front

Parts of the sizeable scaffolding which was covering the West Front of Woburn Abbey has recently been removed. It’s great to see the beautiful façade in the sunlight against a backdrop of the blue sky.

No stone is being left unturned to ensure that this remarkable house is preserved for generations to come. Extensive works to the Abbey continue, and the third phase of works to the roof are ongoing in the North wing. Nonetheless, fantastic progress is being made, and the work taking place has enabled the team to learn more about historic developments from previous centuries. These substantial efforts are essential to preserve the heritage of this historic building, and the world-class collection contained inside.

08/06/2025

The Field of Cloth of Gold – the Russell family legacy begins

in 1520, King Henry VIII of England met with King Francois I of France and marked the start of ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold’, an 18-day long summit filled with tournaments, feasts and entertaining events.

It was a peaceful summit and meeting between the two Kings aimed at solidifying their relationship following the Anglo-French Treaty of 1514. It was intended to show how magnificent both courts were, hoping that this could be a basis for mutual respect between the two states that were, traditionally, enemies.

John Russell, later 1st Earl of Bedford, was in attendance at the Field of Cloth of Gold in Henry VIII’s entourage, and was a witness to the extravagance of the summit. After having departed from his family’s manor house in Dorset 14 years earlier, John had made a good impression on King Henry VII and rose through the ranks at Court. A skilled linguist, fluent in French, Italian and Spanish, he would become a useful diplomat to King Henry VIII, and navigated the tumultuous King’s reign with caution and discretion. He was given the title of the Earl of Bedford following Henry’s death, and with it, other favours were granted to him.

John’s careful presence and the intelligent way he conducted himself in Henry’s Court meant that the trajectory of his family’s future would be transformed.

04/06/2025

Preserving the Past with Purpose

As part of the ongoing restoration of Woburn Abbey, we are using the traditional technique of limewashing to the South Front façade. This historically accurate method not only enhances the visual integrity of the building but also provides essential protection to the stonework against weathering.

Limewashing is just one element of a broader conservation strategy that includes roof restoration and internal works. Together, these efforts reflect our commitment to safeguarding the Abbey’s architectural heritage while preparing it for future generations to enjoy.

30/05/2025

Ascension Day – a view from Canaletto

This painting is one of 24 views commissioned by John, the 4th Duke of Bedford, and painted by Canaletto in the 1730s. It depicts a view from the San Marco basin on Ascension Day, forty days after Easter Sunday, which was the greatest of all Venetian festivals at this time. The Feast of the Ascension of Christ commemorates the Christian belief of the body Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, and in Venice, Ascension season would subsequently run through May and June.

On Ascension Day, a mass would be celebrated by the Doge’s chaplain before the Doge and Signoria embarked on the official state galley, the Bucintoro, from the Molo (a quay). This was the only occasion on which the Bucintoro was brought out of the Arsenal. They would be taken to the Porto di Lido in the Adriatic Sea, where the Doge would throw a golden ring into the water to symbolise the marriage of the city to its greatest asset, the sea. The ship would go to San Nicolo de Lido for a second mass before returning to the Molo in the afternoon, which is the scene captured in this painting and was one of Canaletto’s most sought-after depictions.

The procession to the Porto di Lido originated in the year 1000 as an annual celebration of the triumph over Slavic pirates of the Dalmatian coast, where the fleet had set sail from Venice on Ascension Day. The ceremony was a spectacle that every visitor to Italy wished to capture, but came to an end along with the Republic following the Napoleonic occupation in 1797 where the Bucintoro was burned and destroyed.

Woburn Abbey is the proud custodian of artistic treasures, such as this work by Canaletto, and is excited to share such remarkable objects with you.

21/05/2025

International Tea Day – the legacy of Duchess Anna Maria

On International Tea Day, we are highlighting the figure who is fondly remembered for popularising the tradition of taking afternoon tea, Anna Maria Stanhope, Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857). The Duchess was a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria, and is credited with inventing the English custom of afternoon tea in the mid-19th century. While it is certainly her influence that eventually made it a nationwide practice, she was not the inventor of the habit and today we want to shed light on this common misconception.

Anna Maria’s family were taking tea in the afternoon long before her birth in 1783, as demonstrated by the painting ‘Lord Harrington’s Tea Party’ from 1730. Shortly after her father’s post in Jamaica as Colonel of the 85th Regiment of Foot, Anna Maria was born in Portugal (incidentally where tea drinking had been a popular custom for many decades) and her family soon returned to their estates in England. An eye witness account from Captain Rees Howell Gronow, who made a visit to Harrington House with General Lincoln Stanhope in 1814, states that the family had ‘undeviating tea-table habits’ and that General Stanhope ‘found the family, as he left them on departure, drinking tea in the long gallery’.

Thus, having grown up with the habit of drinking tea in the afternoon, when she married Francis, the Marquess of Tavistock and later the Duke of Bedford, in 1808 she introduced her own family tradition to her new life with the Marquess. In 1837, Princess Victoria became Queen and invited Anna Maria to become a Lady in waiting, in particular Lady of the Bedchamber. The Duchess was soon immersed in Court life and took with her the custom of drinking tea in the afternoon. Before long, Anna Maria had subconsciously introduced afternoon tea to many ladies and their households across the country, including the Queen Victoria, and thus securing her legacy as the individual who popularised the taking of Afternoon Tea.

Address

1/2 Mile From The Village Of Which Interstate 13 Miles Southwest Of Bedford
Woburn
MK179WA

Telephone

01525 290333

Website

http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/

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