Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey is a beautiful country house set in 28 acres of award-winning historic gardens, a must on your Private Tour of England. This estate is a family home that the Dukes of Bedford have called home for over 350 years.

There is a 350-acre safari park with different drive-through exhibits with species such as elephants, tigers and black bears. The deer park, one of the largest conservation parks in Europe, houses nine species of deer. Explore the State Apartments with its original 18th-century architecture or go to The Holland Library with an extensive collection of natural history books. Go underground to discover the family’s gold and silver collection in the vault. The grounds were designed by famous landscaper Humphry Repton, featuring a maze and Japanese gardens.

Woburn Abbey was originally a monastery in 1145. Until Henry VIII dissolved it and John Russell, the 1st Earl of Bedford, bought the property in 1547, and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Bedford ever since. John Russell tore down the original abbey building and built his home instead. The house was largely rebuilt in 1744 by renowned architects Henry Flitcroft and Henry Holland. The Political Warfare Executive used the estate as its headquarters from 1941. In 1970 they added Woburn Safari Park to the grounds. To this day, the property is still a family home where the current Duke and Duchess of Bedford live.

Explore Woburn Abbey on a Private Day Tour from London. Stay in the Cotswolds nearby and tour Bletchley Park, discovering the secrets of World War II at the code breaking HQ.