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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There’s nothing quite like summer in the Deer Park at Woburn Abbey. The 3,000 acre site is a sanctuary for 9 different species of deer, and includes many ancient and interesting trees. Areas within the park were landscaped according to the designs of Humphry Repton (d.1818) who had a great respect for old trees as a symbol of noble antiquity and continuity. #WoburnAbbey #summer #deerpark #countryestate
#OnThisDay in 1841, the first edition of Punch magazine was published and ran continuously until 1992, with a short revival from 1996. Revered for its satirical comedy and the popularisation of the art of and the term ‘cartoon’, Punch magazine became a household name in Victorian Britain. It was a weekly paper that was later collected in book formats from the late-1800s. Punch published unique works by dozens of illustrators including the original illustrator of Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh, Sir John Tenniel and H. M. Bateman, as well as the work of Quentin Blake, who has famously illustrated a large number of Roald Dahl books. The Woburn Abbey collection boasts an impressive number of Punch volumes, and some original drawings for cartoons that they published. The Russell family were often on the receiving end of the satirical cartoons owing to their position in society and role in politics. This example from 1969 pokes fun at the array of attractions that were becoming part of a ‘Stately Home day-out’. The fictional house ‘Longburn’ is a thinly veiled allusion to the 6th Marquess of Bath (d.1992) at Longleat, and the 13th Duke of Bedford at Woburn, who were both pioneers in this commercial and diversified approach to the Country House Business, alongside the 3rd Baron Montagu (d.2015) of Beaulieu. #WoburnAbbey #punchmagazine #cartoon #englishcountryhouse
#OnThisDay in 1870, at the age of 58 years, Charles Dickens passed away. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, Dickens is known for creating some of the most memorable characters in British literature. During his lifetime, he experienced unprecedented levels of success and popularity. During his early years of success and shortly after the birth of his first child, Dickens became a tenant of the Bedford Estates in Bloomsbury, London. He would later dedicate one of his most famous novels, A Tale of Two Cities, to Whig and Liberal Prime Minister Lord John Russell (son of the 6th Duke of Bedford): “In remembrance of many public services and private kindnesses.” #WoburnAbbey #WoburnConnections #CharlesDickens #onthisdayinhistory
#OnThisDay in 1838, Victoria was crowned as Queen of the United Kingdom at the age of 19. This beautiful miniature of the Queen shows her wearing the jewels she wore at the coronation. The miniature is inset into a gold bracelet studded with diamonds, and was a personal gift to Anna Maria, Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857), one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting. Several members of the Russell family attended the coronation, as Peers of the Realm played a role in the ceremony. While the coronation at Westminster Abbey was notable for its confusions, the event was a great success and attracted crowds of up to 400,000 thanks in part to new railways. Those who came watched the two processions and partook in many festivities across London such as visiting a fair in Hyde Park that was supposed to take place over two days which was extended to four, and a firework display in Green Park. A few years later Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Woburn Abbey, where the State Bedroom was prepared for their use. The room has been known ever since as Queen Victoria’s Bedroom. #onthisdayinhistory #QueenVictoria #WoburnAbbey #coronation
Woburn Abbey’s Collection Steward, Bethany, captured this lovely photo of Père David’s deer enjoying a dip near the Park Farm Dairy. The natural habitat of the species is swampy marshland in China, so the deer have evolved as strong swimmers, spending a lot of time in the water. #WoburnAbbey #deer #wildlifephotography
Today marks National Seashell Day and we are highlighting one of the oldest rooms at Woburn Abbey, the Grotto. This remarkable room dates from when the Cistercian monastery on the site was first converted into a family home for the Russell family in the early 17th century. It sits at the centre of a suite of entertaining rooms created for Francis, 4th Earl of Bedford (d.1647). The walls are decorated with bands of bands of ‘frost-work’ carved stone in imitation of naturally occurring stalactites in caves. In-between the frostwork the surfaces of the wall and ceiling are embedded with real iridescent and colourful shells and pebbles shells from the British Isles. Mythical beings and sea gods animate the space, such as the figures of boys riding dolphins composed of mussel shells on shimmering mother-of-pearl waves. The origin of the concept of a ‘Grotto’ can be traced to antiquity, surrounded by mythology of water Gods and nymphs. They are often incorporated into larger schemes including the Gardens, and were popular in Italian Gardens in the Renaissance. Woburn’s Grotto is a rare survival of an internal shell-lined room in England of this date, and is of exceptional national significance. It was created for the 4th Earl by the King’s master mason Nicholas Stone and the French architect and landscape designer Issac de Caus, who came to England in 1612. #NationalSeashellDay #WoburnAbbey #statelyhome #grotto #mythology #17thcentury
Looking for something to do this weekend? It’s your last chance to go and see Humphry Repton’s Red Book for Woburn Abbey (1804) in the temporary exhibition ‘Landscape and Imagination: from Gardens to Landscape Art’ at Compton Verney which closes on Sunday 16 June. The Duchess of Bedford was thrilled to rediscover Repton’s Red Book in the Library upon moving into Woburn Abbey, and has been leading a project to restore and reinstate many of the designs in the Abbey’s Pleasure Grounds ever since. Go and see his innovations while you can! #WoburnAbbey #HumphryRepton #WoburnConnections #Exhibition #WhatsOn
Thanks partly to the efforts of Lord John Russell (1792-1878), youngest son of the 6th Duke of Bedford, #OnThisDay in 1832 the Great Reform Act was passed through parliament and effectively gave the right to vote to middle class men across England and Wales. This changed the British electoral system, and was a step towards democracy in this country. In 1831, the House of Commons passed a Reform Bill, aimed at giving industrial cities and towns better representation, which was subsequently defeated by the House of Lords. In retaliation to this, a series of riots and other protests broke out across the country. Beyond this, there was already a desire to reform within Parliament, particularly Earl Grey’s Whig government where Lord John Russell, later Earl Russell, served in the cabinet. His father, the 6th Duke of Bedford, was a fervent supporter of such reform, and when his son was charged to bring in the Reform Bill, he and his other sons were immensely proud. He said ‘I consider myself as almost the Father of Parliamentary Reform having advocated it for nearly forty years’. Following his success in promoting parliamentary reforms, Lord John Russell later became the last Whig Prime Minister in the country and served in office from 1846-1852 and later 1865 to 1866. Major acts passed under his time in office include the Factory Act of 1847 which put limitations on factory working hours and the Public Health Act of 1848 which did much to improve the sanitary conditions of towns and other populous places across the country. Lord John Russell proclaimed that ‘all I did my object was the public good’, as we can see in these reforms he brought to parliament. #WoburnAbbey #onthisdayinhistory
See here an intriguing silver cheese toast maker from the Woburn Abbey collection. How do these work you might be thinking? You fill the base of the with hot water, and then place toast in each of the square compartments. Top the toast with cheese, then place in front of a fire with the lid up to reflect the heat and watch the cheese melt on top! It is important that the water is hot to stop the bread from going cold as you wait. Toast makers like this first appeared in the mid-18th century, and this one, from the Woburn Abbey collection, is dated from 1803. #WoburnAbbey #statelyhome #NationalCheeseDay #WoburnConnections #WoburnTreasures
Today marks what would have been the 107th birthday of John (Ian) Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford (d.2002). Woburn Abbey had fallen into disrepair following wartime requisition, and high tax rates meant that Duke Ian needed to work hard in order to restore and maintain his estates. He made the decision to open the Abbey to the public for the first time in 1955, where it soon became a popular visitors’ destination. He was initially criticised by some of his peers for opening his house to the public on such a commercial basis, and reflected on this in a memoir. He stated “I am a showman myself… To make myself utterly reprehensible in the eyes of the Snobocracy, I even enjoy being a showman and try to be a successful one.” He maintained his position and justified his actions to such critics where his good intentions prevailed, as all of these efforts were made to ensure that his estates were sustained for future generations. Following this success, the Duke then opened Woburn Safari Park as a separate attraction in 1970. His grandfather, Herbrand, 11th Duke of Bedford (d.1940), was a long-time President of the Zoological Society of London and had introduced more species of deer to the park as well as antelope, bison and zebra by the late 19th century. Therefore, an ethos of conservation and intrigue was already underway at Woburn and this decision was a natural development. Ian became an unforgettable public figure due to his authenticity and enthusiasm to share details of what it was like to live as a Duke in 20th-century England, and provided his guests with the unique experience of visiting this enchanting estate. #WoburnAbbey #WoburnConnections #safaripark #statelyhome
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