| Woburn Abbey | |
|---|---|
 The west front of Woburn Abbey | |
 Interactive map of Woburn Abbey | |
| General information | |
| Type | Stately home |
| Location | Woburn,Bedfordshire,England |
| Coordinates | 51°58′59″N0°35′48″W / 51.9831°N 0.5968°W /51.9831; -0.5968 |
| Owner | Duke of Bedford |
Historic site | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 22 October 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1114006[1] |
| Designated | 30 November 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000364[2] |
Woburn Abbey (/ˈwoʊbərn/),[n 1][3] occupying the east of the village ofWoburn,Bedfordshire, England, is acountry house, thefamily seat of theDuke of Bedford. Although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, along with the diverse estate surrounding it, including the historiclandscape gardens anddeer park (byHumphry Repton), as well as more recently added attractions includingWoburn Safari Park, a miniature railway and a garden/visitor centre. It was built byWilliam Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh.
Woburn Abbey, comprising Woburn Park and its buildings, was set out and founded as aCistercianabbey in 1145.[4]The Cistercian community was dissolved byHenry VIII in 1538.[4]
In 1547 the estate became the seat of the Russell family and theDukes of Bedford,[5] Around 1630,Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford undertook the first rebuilding, demolishing or incorporating original abbey building and built the manor house on the monastic site, although the nameAbbey was retained.[6]
The second rebuilding occurred under architectsHenry Flitcroft and John Sanderson between 1747 and 1761.[6]
In April 1786John Adams andThomas Jefferson, both future Presidents of the United States, visited Woburn Abbey and other notable houses in the area. After visiting them Adams wrote in his diary "Stowe,Hagley, andBlenheim, are superb; Woburn,Caversham, andthe Leasowes are beautiful.Wotton is both great and elegant, though neglected".[7] However he was also damning about the means used to finance the large estates, and he did not think that the embellishments to the landscape made by the owners of the great country houses would suit the more rugged American countryside.[7]
Further rework undertaken between 1787 and 1790 was directed byHenry Holland.[6]
Visiting Woburn Abbey in March 1939, the MP and diaristHenry Channon described the well-kept-up "feudal magnificance" of the estate shortly before the outbreak of war. This included more than twenty drawing rooms, thirty cars and whole rooms devoted each to collections ofJoshua Reynolds,Canalettos andVan Dyck paintings.[8]
From 1941 Woburn Abbey was the headquarters of the secretivePolitical Warfare Executive (PWE) which had its London offices at the BBC'sBush House.[9]
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FollowingWorld War II,dry rot was discovered and half the Abbey was subsequently demolished. When the12th Duke died in 1953, his son the13th Duke was exposed to death duties of $14 million[10] and the Abbey was a half-demolished, half-derelict house. Instead of handing the family estates over to theNational Trust, he kept ownership and opened the Abbey to the public for the first time in 1955. It soon gained in popularity and in its first ten years, it had ticket sales of $11 million, helping to pay off much of the death duties.[10] Other amusements were added, includingWoburn Safari Park on the grounds of the Abbey in 1970. Asked about the unfavourable comments by other aristocrats when he turned the family home into a safari park, the 13th Duke said, "I do not relish the scorn of the peerage, but it is better to be looked down on than overlooked."[11]
The 13th Duke moved toMonte Carlo in 1975.[12] His sonRobin, who enjoyed the courtesy title Marquess of Tavistock, ran the Abbey with his wife in his father's absence.[citation needed] In the early 1990s, the Marquess andThe Tussauds Group planned to turn the Abbey into a largetheme park with the help ofJohn Wardley, creator of theroller coasters "Nemesis" and "Oblivion". However, Tussauds boughtAlton Towers and built one there instead.[citation needed] From 1999 to 2002, the Marquess and the Marchioness, the former Henrietta Joan Tiarks, were the subjects of theTiger Aspect Productionsreality seriesCountry House in three series, totalling 29 episodes, which aired onBBC Two. It detailed the daily life and the business of running the Abbey.[13] The Marquess of Tavistock became the 14th Duke on the death of his father in November 2002 inSanta Fe, New Mexico, United States. The 14th Duke was the briefest holder of the Dukedom and died in June 2003.[citation needed] On the death of the 14th Duke, his sonAndrew became the 15th Duke, and he continues his father's work in running the Woburn Abbey Estate. The building is aGrade I listed building.[1]
The art collection of theDuke of Bedford is extensive and encompasses a wide range of western artwork. The holdings comprise some 250 paintings, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Canaletto and Velasquez. Moreover, the collection encompasses examples of the finest manufacturers of furniture, French and English in many periods, and a diverse collection of porcelain and silverware.[2][failed verification]
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Dutch School
English School
Flemish School
French School
German School
Italian School
Spanish School
The ministry reckoned that the current building does incorporate some of the fabric of the medieval abbey and notes that the first rebuilding took place around 1630 by Francis, the 4th Earl.
Attribution:
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
