Figure 1.-- Here is a still from the children's Film Foundation picture 'The Treasure of Woburn Abbey ALK Five Clues to a Fortune". It shows the children exploring the grounds. |
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Woburn Abbey like most English country homes has a fascinating history. It was the family seat of the fabously wealthy Duke of Bedford. It was originally founded as a Cistercian abbey (1145). When King Henry VIII dissolved the monastaries, he transferred Woburn to a favorite--John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (1547). It became the seat of the Russell family and the Dukes of Bedford, who demolished the original Abbey and build a country home on the original Abbey site. The first home was largely rebuilt on a more magnifcent scale by the architects Henry Flitcroft and Henry Holland for the 4th Duke (beginning 1744). After the Revolutionary War, future presidents John Adans and Thomas Jefferson visited several English country homes including Woburn (1786). They were impressed with the buildings, but not the landscapping. Adams was especially critical of the means used to finance the large estate. We are not sure what he was referring to, but may have included the slave trade. Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, originated the afternoon tea ritual (19th-century). The secretive Political Warfare Executive (PWE) took over the Abbey for use during World War II. They also had London offices at the BBC's Bush House.
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