The Woburn Estate

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The Bedford Estates, LondonThe Bedford Estates, London

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Home of the 15th Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey and Gardens are currently closed to facilitate a major refurbishment programme.  We look forward to welcoming you back to enjoy the Abbey and its surroundings in spring 2026 when this is completed.

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Today we remember the life of George Sackville Russell, 10th Duke of Bedford (1852-1893) painted here in academic robes by Michele Gordigiani. The painting was delivered to Woburn Abbey #onthisday in 1886, which was also the Duke’s birthday. George was the eldest son of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford and Elizabeth Sackville-West, Duchess of Bedford and grew up at Woburn Abbey with his three siblings. Before he inherited the Dukedom he went to Balliol College, Oxford, in 1874 and one year later, he was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire for a decade.. He also served as High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Chairman of Bedfordshire County Council. In 1891, he inherited the title the Duke of Bedford, but only held the title for two years. After his premature death, the Dukedom passed to his younger brother, Herbrand Russell, the 11th Duke of Bedford (1858-1940). #WoburnAbbey #statelyhome #countryhouse #portrait
Here are a few marble busts of previous generations of the Russell family, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere and reviewing the progress after another day supervising the ongoing restoration works. #WoburnAbbey #statelyhome #countryhouse #sculpture
#OnThisDay in 1625, Charles I ascended to the throne. For this occasion, we want to share one of the more unexpected objects from the Woburn Abbey collection, his remarkable walking stick. The handle is dated from 1632 and is made of orange agate and the ebony stick which has been inlaid with mother of pearl stars is equally as impressive. #WoburnAbbey #Woburnconnections #bts #behindthescenes
1,603 years of Venice. According to tradition, Venice was formally established at noon on the 25th March 421AD. To mark this date, we want to share this painting by Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto. He was born in Venice and painted precise and insightful artworks of what was the Republic of Venice. The Woburn Abbey Collection is proud to hold 24 of his paintings, commissioned in 1731 by Lord John Russell, later the 4th Duke of Bedford, during his Grand Tour of Italy. The painting of ‘Ascension Day’ underwent conservation before featuring in the ‘Canaletto: Painting Venice’ exhibition at the Holburne Museum in 2021. You can see the impact of the removal of several layers of old, discoloured varnish and retouchings. The old varnish disrupted the blue tone of the painting and reduced the contrast in colour between the sky and the sea, whereas now these differences can be seen more clearly, as this photomontage shows. #WoburnAbbey #WoburnConnections #Venice #Canaletto #WoburnTreasures #Conservation
Today is #NationalPuppyDay and we are sharing with you images of the delightful Che Foo, pet dog of Mary the Duchess of Bedford. Mary was a renowned animal lover, and adored Che Foo the most of all her pets. He was a Pekinese spaniel and travelled everywhere with her. When he got older, the services of Viking (Mary’s Shetland pony pictured above) were enlisted to carry or draw Che Foo about until he passed away in 1916. Mary once wrote that Viking was “trained to carry Che Foo and Che Foo to ride him. All of which things my family predicted would never be accomplished”. #puppy #pekinese #cutedogs #WoburnAbbey #WoburnConnections
Happy Mothering Sunday from Woburn Abbey. There are few group portraits in the Woburn Abbey Collection to reveal the family dynamics of previous generations, making this c.1713 painting by Charles Jervas a rare example. It depicts Elizabeth Howland, Duchess of Bedford (1682-1724) with her two sons and two daughters. Elizabeth’s husband, Wriothesley Russell was the 2nd Duke of Bedford, and had recently died. He is represented posthumously in the oval portrait hanging on the wall. The painting shows us the strength of their family, and the enduring maternal love of Elizabeth Howland in spite of their family’s recent loss. Her young son Wriothesley, was now the 3rd Duke of Bedford, and tenderly holds his mother’s hand. This significant painting has recently undergone full conservation treatment – it had been double-lined in the 19th century, meaning that the original canvas has been stuck onto two more layers. The large scale of the painting combined with the excessive weight of the canvases was causing a tear along the top-edge, which in turn was causing other structural issues. The painting is now secure and stable, and it will be placed on display in the Green Parlour, where Horace Walpole recorded it hanging in the 1750s. #MotheringSunday #MothersDay #WoburnAbbey #conservation
To commemorate #InternationalWomensDay, we continue to reflect on the legacy of the women of the Russell family. The interests and accomplishments of the Russell women have been many and wide-ranging, and notable figures include Lucy, Countess of Bedford (1581-1627). Lucy was a woman of culture and hosted literary gatherings at Bedford House, London. She was well-educated and had a flair for languages, speaking Italian, French and Spanish fluently. The Countess inspired great literary figures of the day such as John Donne and Ben Johnson, and had nearly 40 works dedicated to her. These dedications commented upon her power and strength of mind. On the death of Lady Bridget Markham and Ceclia Bulstrode, Lucy and John Donne wrote a pair of elegies in conversation to remember them. ‘Death be not proud’ is the only verse which can be attributed to the Countess with any certainty, but it is highly likely that she composed other poems which have been lost as she did not publish them. Lucy was a key figure at court, and attended alone when her husband was placed under house arrest for his involvement in the Essex Rebellion in 1601. In 1603 she was chosen as Queen Anna of Denmark’s Lady of the Privy Chamber, having accompanied the Queen on her journey from Scotland to London with her husband the newly proclaimed King James I, and remained a principal favourite. Lucy played a prominent role in the extravagant Court Masques designed by the father of English classicism Inigo Jones. Here we see a portrait depicting her in the role ‘Power of Juno’ designed by Jones and worn in the Masque ‘Hymenaei’ performed at the wedding of Frances Howard, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk, to Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. The hem of her skirt is shortened for dancing, so that her skilled footwork could be admired by the audience. Her costume is enriched with gold and silver thread, enriched further with impressive jewels, which would have sparkled as she moved under the theatrical illuminations. Lucy’s influence at Woburn is felt today in the paintings and books that she added to the Woburn Abbey Collection. #IWD2024 #WoburnAbbey #InternationalWomensDay2024
The essential components for pancake day: a good frying pan and a liberal amount of sugar! Pancake Day is the day before the start of Lent, and traditionally is the last chance to use up eggs, butter and fat for those who observe a restricted Lenten diet. Image 1: A mid to late 19th century copper frying pan from a large Batterie de Cuisine made for Woburn Abbey together with a silver sugar basin engraved with the Russell arms (from 1824) and a sugar sifter (19th century).
#OnThisDay in 1554 Lady Jane Grey, England’s shortest reigning monarch, was executed for high treason at the age of 17 years. Following the death of her cousin Edward VI in 1553, Lady Jane Grey acceded to the throne. However, she reigned for just nine days as Mary Tudor had gathered enough support for her claim. Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Lord Dudley, were executed at Tower Hill the following year. This painting in the Woburn Abbey Collection by Charles Robert Leslie was painted in 1827 and it imagines Lady Jane Grey, stood with her husband, being presented with the Crown. A portrait of Edward VI sits in the background watching the scene unfold, and the weight of their circumstance is prevalent. A portrait of John, 1st Earl of Bedford (d.1555) is included as one of the bearded figures kneeling on the left-hand side. The painting was commissioned by John, 6th Duke of Bedford (1766-1839), who was interested in visual representations of his ancestors’ role in history. Image: The Crown offered to Lady Jane Grey by Charles Robert Leslie (1827) #ArtHistory #Woburn #OnThisDayinHistory #LadyJaneGrey #woburnconnections
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