The Woburn Estate

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The Bedford Estates, LondonThe Bedford Estates, London

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Home of the 15th Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey and Gardens are currently closed to facilitate a major refurbishment programme.  We look forward to welcoming you back to enjoy the Abbey and its surroundings in spring 2026 when this is completed.

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Take a #behindthescenes look at one example of the specialist conservation work that has recently been undertaken at Woburn Abbey. The two chimney pieces in the West Hall were recently cleaned and restored alongside the two reliefs above, as highlighted in a previous post. These chimneypieces were made by John Deval, Master Mason to the King, and they were intricately carved with foliage, drops of fruit and raised scrolls in Portland stone. The two pieces cost £76.0.0, and the two frames cost another £18.0.0. John carved several chimneypieces at Woburn Abbey in the 1750s which are still here today. When he came to work here, he had been appointed as Master Mason to the King and had started working on a project at the Tower of London which would take him twenty years, reducing fortifications. Following his work at Woburn, in 1760 he was made Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons in London, the highest position a mason could reach. He trained his son and namesake in the trade, and following in his father’s footsteps, John Deval the younger worked at Woburn Abbey, became Master Mason to the King and the Master of Worshipful Company of Masons. Over time, several of the elements have been damaged and come loose, requiring specialist conservation care. Conservators brush and lightly vacuum the surfaces before giving them a wet clean with another brush. Detached pieces, like those you can see above, are adhered to their original location with a polyester resin or a specialised resin, depending on their size. Any cracks and joints are filled in with a specially made paste and are retouched with acrylic washes to perfectly match the original stone. #bts #conservation #stonemason #restoration #WoburnAbbey
#didyouknow Bedfordshire County Council had its coat of arms created in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. The coat of arms became the symbol of the county being placed on many public buildings and signs and flown with pride at Woburn Abbey. The council used the banner of arms as a flag until it was abolished in 2009. In 2014, the Friends of Bedfordshire Society began a successful campaign to have a slightly modified version of the former council’s banner of arms registered with the Flag Institute as the flag of the county. The design of the current flag is a composite of several symbols significant to the county. The yellow and red quadrants are taken from the arms of the Beauchamp family, powerful in the county after the Norman conquest of England and constructors of Bedford Castle. The blue and white wavy lines are symbolic of the Great Ouse, which flows through the county, including the county town of Bedford. The three vertically arranged shells on a black panel are taken from the coat of arms of the Dukes of Bedford. NB: The images are from previous years as the Abbey is currently undergoing a major refurbishment.
Enjoy this atmospheric view of a foggy start to the day at Woburn Abbey taken by Deputy Curator, Victoria Poulton #deerpark #Woburn #landscape #nature #naturephotography
Changing seasons in Woburn
See here the ongoing transformation of our new entrance to Woburn Abbey and Gardens. As you can see from these comparison photographs, the area is almost unrecognisable from when the old Kiosks were demolished in 2021. The previous structures had reached the end of their serviceable life as they were of a flimsy aluminium construction. Now, we have repurposed historic structures, previously screened behind a fence, and reconstructed and reimagined an old Stable to provide a fit-for-purpose welcoming space. We have taken the opportunity to re-imagine the surrounding landscape where a new pathway provides views of the Abbey and Chinese Dairy, with trees and new planting enhancing the enchanting arrival. Whilst we have made great progress, there is still lots to do, including developing high-quality facilities for our future visitors. 1 – The newly planted areas for the entrance 2 – The new visitor’s arrival building, known as “Stranger’s Stables” 3 – The development of the new pathway 4 – Demolition of the Old Kiosks #WoburnAbbey #restoration #landscape #countryhouse #conservation
An autumnal view of the deer park here at Woburn Abbey #autumn #nature #naturephotography #deer #Woburn #WoburnAbbey
Lest we forget. Today on Remembrance Sunday we remember all those who served in the Great War, WWII and wars since.
Remember remember the 5th of November… On Guy Fawkes Night we want to spotlight an overlooked figure of the events that took place on the 5th November 1605, Princess Elizabeth Stuart. The failed conspiracy to assassinate the Protestant King James VI & I and his heir Henry Frederick, aimed to replace him with the Princess, Elizabeth, who would act as a Catholic head of state. Elizabeth was only 9 years old at the time, and was raised in a Catholic household until the age of 7. The conspirators’ intention was to kidnap her from Coombe Abbey, and forcibly place her on the throne of England to act as a Catholic monarch. Her infant brother, later Charles I, too feeble to be placed on the throne. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a reputation as a distinguished young woman who had been carrying out royal duties from a very young age. She was popular amongst Catholics and Protestants alike, and the conspirators believed that she could have neutralised domestic conflicts. After the failed plot, Elizabeth was taken to Coventry for her safekeeping. Her father worked to sow the seeds of peace between Catholic and Protestant factions across Europe, and secured a strong marriage for the Princess. On Valentine’s Day in 1613, she married Frederick V, Elector Palatine of the Rhine in the Holy Roman Empire. They were both 16 years old, and were set to be a power couple of Europe. In November 1619, they were crowned as King and Queen of Bohemia, but this was short-lived. The family fled to exile in November 1620 following the Battle of White Mountain that lit the fuse of the Thirty Years’ War. Elizabeth remained in exile following her husband’s death, and relied on her charm and spirit to sustain her lifestyle. This portrait by the circle of Gerard van Honthorst from the Woburn Abbey collection highlights her strength of character and an influential woman in the 17th century. She finally returned to England following the Restoration of the British monarchy, before passing away of pneumonia on 13 February 1662, aged 65 years. #WoburnAbbey #portrait #queenofbohemia #arthistory #guyfawkesnight #WoburnTreasures
Today marks the birthday of the 2nd Duke of Bedford, Wriothesley Russell, who was born #onthisday in 1680. Wriothesley can be seen here in this portrait depicted as a young child, dressed in Roman costume. In his lifetime, he enjoyed acquiring a knowledge of Italian culture, and had a liberating sojourn to Rome as a young man of 18 years on the precipice of the Dukedom. Travelling with a tutor, Wriothesley found immense joy for the people and climate in Rome. He developed an early taste for collecting books and musical scores, and soon filled the shelves of Woburn Abbey with illustrated books on architecture and the history of art. Following an uncertain period after the execution of his father, William, Lord Russell, the family’s fortunes transformed with the reign of King William III and Queen Anne. The 5th Earl of Bedford (William’s father) was elevated in the peerage to Duke, and Wriothesley stood next in line after his grandfather. Even though Wriothesley passed away at the young age of 30 years from smallpox, he achieved many titles and honours during his short tenure as the Duke of Bedford and brought stability and prosperity to the family. He had gained the reputation as the richest peer in England, and he held the offices of Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, and Middlesex, and he was a Gentleman to the Bedchamber to William III from 1701-1702. After William III’s death, he was invested as a Knight of the Garter in 1702 and served as Lord High Constable of England for the coronation of Queen Anne. #WoburnAbbey #historichouse #arthistory #portrait #woburntreasures
Memento mori… This Halloween, we are taking a closer look at one peculiar object from the Woburn Abbey Collection. This is a lock of hair contained in a small locket which bears a skull and crossbones. The hair belongs to William, Lord Russell, son of the 5th Earl (later 1st Duke) of Bedford, who was found guilty of high treason for his involvement in the Rye House Plot, a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother (heir to the throne) James, the Duke of York in 1683. Years prior, in 1678, he moved an address to the King to exclude the Duke of York from the line of succession, and two years later he tendered his resignation after this was unsuccessful. In 1682, he attended a meeting at which treasonous discussions supposedly took place, and one year later the Rye House Plot was foiled and discovered. For his alleged involvement in the Rye House Plot, Lord Russell was found guilty by jury, and was beheaded at Lincoln’s Inn Fields on 21 July 1683 where a plaque in his memory was later installed. This lock of hair would have been taken from his head after the beheading took place, and was handed over to the Russell family. In this context, the skull and crossbones you can see on the front of the locket was a symbol of death and was frequently used as a memento mori on tombstones. The engraving on the back reads the date of his execution: “LD W R July … 21, 1683”. He was lauded as a martyr by the Whigs who claimed that he was put to death in retaliation for his efforts to exclude James from the line of succession. He received a posthumous pardon from King William III and Queen Mary 1689, who had by that time taken over the throne. #WoburnAbbey #historyfacts #halloween #WoburnTreasures
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