Pictures of England

Search:

Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Tudor Building, Thaxted

Thaxted

in the county of Essex

Pictures of Woburn

in the county of Bedfordshire

About Woburn

The magnificent Abbey of Woburn is yet another of the jewels in England's crown of glorious historic properties that stand in testimony to our islands turbulent, yet noble, past.

The picturesque village of Woburn has an mixture of delightful old cottages, some are of rusty red brick under a tiled roof and others of an earlier date, are half timbered black and white with dormer windows almost hidden under a thick thatched roof. Creeper runs riot up ancient walls and in high summer delightful small gardens are heavy with the scent of old roses, lavender and herbs. Chance upon the village which lies in the heart of lovely wooded countryside and you will certainly chance upon the great palatial 18th-century mansion that is Woburn Abbey.

Henry VIII granted the buildings and land at Woburn to John Russell and created him Ist Baron Russell, this was in the year 1593 at the time of the Dissolution. Later, Baron Russell was made Ist Earl of Bedford by Edward VI and later still the 5th Earl was given a Dukedom by William III. In early times the Russells' did not live at Woburn but it has been the family home since the 17th-century when they built themselves a house on the monastic site. This house was demolished during the 18th-century when the brilliant Henry Flitcroft was commissioned to rebuild it. He was aided in this task by John Sanderson and together they remodelled the Abbey. Most famously Flitcroft reconstructed the west front with it's magnificent state rooms which were completed in 1760.
The end of the 18th-century saw Henry Holland who had been the architect of Carlton House, London, commissioned to carry out further improvements and it is he who is responsible for the east front, the chinese dairy and the splendid orangery.

The State Salon has a richly gilded ceiling, sumptuous chandoliers and is stylishly furnished with a mixture of superb french and english furniture. It is adorned by rare and beautiful works of art and prized porcelain. The whole house is a treasure trove of rare and beautiful objects.

The formal landscaped grounds of the superb 3,000 acres of fine parkland were set out by Humphrey Repton.

Recommended towns & villages near Woburn

A picture of Ampthill

Ampthill (13 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Bedfordshire

(6.1 miles, 9.8 km, direction NE of Woburn)

The lovely town of Ampthill lies sheltered by hills in the sandstone belt of Bedfordshire...

The old Oak tree in Midsummer Place

Milton Keynes (46 Pictures) in the county of Buckinghamshire

(6.8 miles, 10.9 km, direction NW of Woburn)

Of interest to visitors to the town is Milton Keynes Museum, this preserves the history of the town and its area from the early 19th century through to the present day...

Olney Church

Olney (62 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Buckinghamshire

(12.0 miles, 19.4 km, direction N of Woburn)

Amongst other things the small town of Olney in Buckinghamshire is famous for its hymns - Amazing Grace was one of the so-called Olney Hymns written by the rector John Newton, and William Cowper, the poet...

CHURCH IN YELDEN

Bedford (71 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Bedfordshire

(12.2 miles, 19.6 km, direction NE of Woburn)

Bedford is the historic County town of Bedfordshire with a beautiful riverside setting on the great River Ouse. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's has strong associations with this town...

Old Warden, Bedfordshire

Old Warden (23 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire

(13.5 miles, 21.7 km, direction NE of Woburn)

Old Warden is a sleepy Bedfordshire village with pretty honey-coloured thatched cottages and a wealth of other interesting buildings...

All towns & villages in Bedfordshire
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. August 2006

Woburn Abbey (14 Pictures)

(1.1 miles, 1.8 km)

Set in 3,000 acres of beautiful park land, Woburn Abbey has been the home of the Russell family for almost 450 years and it is.....

Stockgrove Country Park, Leighton Buzzard

Stockgrove Country Park (4 Pictures)

(3.1 miles, 4.9 km, direction SW)

..

A picture of Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park (28 Pictures)

(5.3 miles, 8.5 km, direction W)

Also referred to as Station-X, Bletchley Park was the top-secret wartime base of Allied code breakers, such as Alan Turing and.....

A picture of Houghton House

Houghton House (24 Pictures)

(6.9 miles, 11.1 km, direction NE)

Houghton House is a 3 story stately home built by Lady Pembroke in 1621. Houghton is reputedly the model for "House Beautiful" in.....

Ascott House the Dutch garden

Ascott House (3 Pictures)

(7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction SW)

This stunningly beautiful house began life in the 17th-century as a small timber-framed black and white farmhouse. It was.....

Wrest House, Silsoe, Bedfordshire

Wrest Park House and Gardens (70 Pictures)

(9.0 miles, 14.5 km, direction E)

Wrest Park House was once the home of the de Grey family whose Mausoleum is at nearby Flitton. The gardens form a charming.....

Cainhoe Castle, Clophill, Bedfordshire.

Cainhoe Castle (2 Pictures)

(9.7 miles, 15.5 km, direction E)

The remains of a late 11th or early 12th century motte and bailey castle with three baileys. Cainhoe castle was probably occupied.....


All attractions in Woburn
All attractions in Bedfordshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England