Woburn Abbey
| Woburn Abbey | |
|---|---|
The west front of Woburn Abbey
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| General information | |
| Type | Stately home |
| Location | Woburn, Bedfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°58′59″N 0°35′48″W / 51.9831°N 0.5968°W |
| Owner | Duke of Bedford |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 22 October 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1114006 |
| Designated | 30 November 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000364 |
Woburn Abbey (/woʊbən/) occupying the east of the village of Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the family seat of the Duke 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 historic landscape gardens and deer park (by Humphry Repton), as well as more recently added attractions including Woburn Safari Park, a miniature railway and a garden/visitor centre.
Woburn Abbey, comprising Woburn Park and its buildings, was set out and founded as a Cistercian abbey in 1145. Taken from its monastic residents by Henry VIII and given to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, in 1547, it became the seat of the Russell family and the Dukes of Bedford. The Abbey was largely rebuilt starting in 1744 by the architects Henry Flitcroft and Henry Holland for the 4th Duke.Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, originated the afternoon tea ritual in 19th-century England.
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