In 1145 Hugh de Bolebec founded a Cistercian abbey at Woburn, and during the year to form the religious nucleus fourteen monks arrived from Fountains Abbey. Yet their fortunes were not to flourish, and by 1234 the brethren had become so impoverished that, until the debts were paid off, the community was disbanded. Nevertheless the abbey still continued, and from the original village of Woburn a town would eventually develop, to which was duly granted a yearly fair and a weekly market. However, following King Henry VIII’s declaration as Supreme Head of the English Church the abbey suffered a final demise when, on coming to Woburn, his commissioners discovered the twelve monks, the abbot and the sub prior. Eleven monks would soon be freed, but having been tried and found guilty the three other brethren were hanged from a tree at the entrance to the abbey. Some two hundred yards from the west front of the present building the tree, known as Abbot’s Oak, still remains, as also perhaps does the ghost of the Abbot which, clad in a long brown robe, has supposedly been sighted both in the crypt and the Sculpture Gallery. In 1550 the interests of the abbey were then granted by royal award to a Dorset squire, John Russell, but despite being created Earl of Bedford he nevertheless preferred to live at another family residence, at Chenies, in Buckinghamshire. Thereby in consequence in 1572 the second Earl was thrown into a state of near panic, when it was announced that the neglected property at Woburn would receive a visit from Queen Elizabeth. Hurried renovations were accordingly made, but after this the abbey descended again into neglect, although this was perhaps of little surprise, considering the Earl’s not insubstantial burdens of debt. Thus after his death in 1585 it would be eventually left to the fourth Earl to restore the fortunes of Woburn, of which he had made an initial acquaintance whilst escaping an epidemic of smallpox in London. In fact apart from various restorations he also made plans to construct a ninety room mansion – to be the largest in the county – but, especially in view of his motive for coming to Woburn, these ambitions were tragically curtailed when, in 1641, he died from smallpox. As for his son, the 5th Earl, he would be preoccupied with other matters, for during the Civil War despite having pledged allegiance to the Parliamentary cause, in the wake of unsuccessful peace proposals he then reconsidered his options and joined the Royalists. Yet this would not be his ultimate loyalty, for on becoming dissatisfied with the King’s policy in December 1643 he then surrendered to the Earl of Essex. His goods at Bedford House, London, were duly confiscated, but as long as he caused them no trouble Parliament allowed him to quietly remain at Woburn. Wisely he complied with their wish, and in due course this proved a prudent decision for, after the restoration of the monarchy, on May 11th, 1694 he was created Duke of Bedford by William and Mary. By marriage his son then continued the family ascent by acquiring much property in London, and even today reminders are still evident with Russell Square and Bedford Row. As for Woburn, it would be left to the fourth Duke of Bedford, John, to begin the reconstruction of Woburn Abbey, and although it was necessary to demolish much of the building, the resulting reconstructions would nevertheless preserve the quadrangular plan. In time John’s grandson became the 5th Duke, and although not greatly possessed of a scholarly disposition he found other pursuits in which to indulge, the most interesting of which was perhaps the mistress whom he installed in a wing of Woburn Abbey! In fact his appreciation of a shapely form also extended to architecture, and to add the east front of the Abbey he commissioned the famed Henry Holland, who would also be responsible for the main entrance to the Park, fashioned in the form of a broad, sweeping semi circle. In 1802 John, the brother of the 5th Duke, then inherited the estate, and he would engage Humphrey Repton to lay out a suitably impressive approach to the west front. Achieving a national renown John’s third son, also John, twice became Prime Minister, but it would be Francis, the eldest son, who inherited Woburn, and also a heavy burden of debt. Yet nevertheless he still had to finance a ‘lavish entertainment’, when in 1841 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived on a visit. In 1861 the 7th Duke was succeeded by his son, William, but being somewhat of a recluse he transferred the management of the estates to his cousin, Francis Charles Hastings, who in time became the 9th Duke. Unfortunately he went mad, and shot himself in 1891. He was then succeeded by his eldest son, George, and when he suddenly died two years later the inheritance, in the absence of children, passed to his brother Herbrand, who, whilst serving in the Grenadier Guards, had been unfortunately christened ‘Hatband’ by his fellow associates. Not being a man to embrace modern improvements, he would refuse to have central heating installed in the Abbey, and as a result during the winter months eighty wood fires had to be lit, and kept tended. As for other enhancements, an early attempt to install electricity came to an end when a section of the wiring caught fire, and during a later attempt the progress was also less than straightforward since, because the Duke would allow no workmen to be seen in his presence, whenever he approached those laying the cables had to scurry into a cupboard! In 1940 Herbrand died from poor health, and with the Abbey in an unequally unsound condition after the war the need arose to demolish the eastern wing, and undertake extensive renovations. However, the necessary finance would not be immediately forthcoming since, having died prematurely, (from a gunshot wound whilst out hunting), the 12th Duke had made no provision to escape estate duties, and as a result his son, the 13th Duke, came to inherit a tax bill of £4 million. With the whole of the east front of the Abbey now gone, as well as at least a third of the north and south wings, this was hardly an enviable situation, but by sheer determination the Duke organised a clearing up and renovation, and such progress was made that in 1955 the Abbey was opened to fare paying visitors, with the first arriving via two cars and a bike! In recent years the Safari Park has become an added attraction, and the estate is now under the capable management of the 15th Duke of Bedford.