Woburn Abbey,
the seat of the head of the Russell Family, the Duke
of Bedford, was a sad half-demolished, half-derelict
house in 1953 after the death of the heavily indebted
12th Duke. The Abbey, originally given to the family
by Henry VIII, had been largely rebuilt by the 4th
Duke in the 18th century. The architects Flitcroft
and Holland had been employed on the project. Following
World War II, dry rot had been discovered and half
the Abbey was subsequently demolished.
The layout of Woburn before partial demolition.
Following his
father's death, John, 13th Duke of Bedford opened
it to the public for the first time in 1955. It soon
gained in popularity as other amusements were added,
including the safari park. The 13th Duke died in November
2002 in Santa Fe, New Mexico (U.S.A.). Asked about
the unfavourable comments by other aristocrats when
he turned the family home into a theme park he once
said, "I do not relish the scorn of the peerage,
but it is better to be looked down on than overlooked."
The 14th Duke, Robin (who enjoyed the courtesy title
Marquess of Tavistock), ran Woburn Abbey for many
years with his wife, the former Henrietta Tiarks,
before inheriting the title on the death of his Monte
Carlo based father.
Robin, 14th Duke of Bedford (the briefest holder of
the Dukedom), died in June 2003. His son, Andrew,
15th Duke of Bedford, now runs the Woburn Abbey Estate.
Anna
Maria, the 7th Duchess of Bedford of Woburn Abbey
in Bedfordshire, was the originator of the afternoon
tea ritual in 19th century England.
