 woburn abbey () occupying the east of the village of woburn, bedfordshire, england, is a country house, the family seat of the duke of bedford. although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, along with the diverse estate surrounding it, including the historic landscape gardens and deer park (by humphry repton) , as well as more recently added attractions including woburn safari park, a miniature railway, garden/visitor centre and a new center parcs village. == pre-20th century == woburn abbey, comprising woburn park and its buildings, was set out and founded as a cistercian abbey in 1145. taken from its monastic residents by henry viii and given to john russell, 1st earl of bedford, in 1547, it became the seat of the russell family and the dukes of bedford. the abbey was largely rebuilt starting in 1744 by the architects henry flitcroft and henry holland for the 4th duke. anna maria, the wife of t
1140s_establishments_in_England 1145_establishments Art_museums_and_galleries_in_Bedfordshire Christian_monasteries_established_in_the_12th_century Cistercian_monasteries_in_England Country_houses_in_Bedfordshire Gardens_by_Capability_Brown Gardens_in_Bedfordshire Grade_I_listed_buildings_in_Bedfordshire Grade_I_listed_houses Historic_house_museums_in_Bedfordshire Monasteries_in_Bedfordshire Palladian_architecture Visitor_attractions_in_Bedfordshire