Woburn Abbey is the family home of the Duke of Bedford. Part of the grounds are open to the public, divided between naturalistic gardens for people to enjoy and a safari park. The house can also be visited. Digital Journal paid a summer visit to the gardens.
The gardens are divided into different zones, separated by grass or woodland. There are several lily ponds, fritillaries, wild orchids and masses of flowers.
The first part of the gardens contains the Chinese Dairy. The Chinese Dairy was designed by Henry Holland, an architect to the English nobility, in the Chinoiserie style in 1787. The main features have been maintained ever since.
The mix of Western and Eastern design is characterized by the use of Chinese motifs and techniques.
Close by is the Folly and Children’s Garden. The folly is a small building, resembling a type of grotto. Rose arches are fitted to the four entrances to the folly; together with other plants, they provide a blaze of color.
The Bog Garden is an eclectic mix of plants. Woburn Abbey Gardens are located on a mix of clay and sand. Where the two soils connect, there is a spring of water, which has led to a a boggy patch. This leads to a variety of distinctive plants and wildlife co-existing in this part of the gardens.
Between stretches of the themed gardens is plenty of lush woodland.
There is also a traditionally English maze. Called The Hornbeam Maze, the privet puzzle looks deceptively simple, however it takes the average person 10 minutes to reach the center and 15 minutes to find their way back out.
At the center of the maze is a Chinese Pagoda. The structure was built in 1833 and is based on a design by Sir William Chambers.
The gardens also feature an Aviary.
The Aviary is home to various birds, including golden pheasants, budgies and quail.
The Rockery is an impressive area, perhaps the highlight of the gardens. Overhanging the rockery is a pavilion. The pavilion is a new addition, completed in 2011. The structure took four weeks to build and a week to put together on site.
As well as the gardens, the Abbey looms impressively to the west. For an additional price, the Abbey can be visited. The art collection of the Duke of Bedford is said to be amongst the finest in private hands.
There are also other things of interest, such as a working traditional British telephone kiosk alongside a post box.
And a Doric temple. The Temple was designed by Humphry Repton and built in 1804. Doric is a classical order of architecture characterized by a sturdy fluted column and a thick square abacus resting on a rounded molding
surprises visitors strolling through the gardens.
Woburn Abbey gardens are well worth as visit, for a leisurely stroll, and to appreciate the effort put in to creating differently themed aspects.
