Woburn, Bedfordshire

Woburn is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is about five miles from Milton Keynes. At the 2011 census, 930 people lived in Woburn.Office for National Statistics, 2011 Census, Usual resident population, Table KS101EW, accessdate=24 December 2014

According to the. Illage website, the first record of Woburn was in 969 AD as a hamlet. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. The same source asserts: "the name Woburn comes from the Old English words 'wo', which means crooked, and 'burn' which means village. In 1145 Woburn Abbey was founded by Cistercian monks. In 1538, at the dissolution of the monasteries, the monastery was granted to the first Earl of Bedford."

Woburn has been burned down and rebuilt three times in its history. The first time was due to a chimney fire that spread to the other houses. The second time was during the English Civil War. The third time was in 1724 when another fire destroyed most of the village. It was rebuilt the last time in the Georgian style. New inns and a Market-house were added.Edward Wedlake Brayley; John Britton, The Beauties of England and Wales (London: Vernor and Hood , 1801), p. 38

 Woburn Abbey 
Right in the centre of Woburn is a short road leading to Woburn Park, the large estate of the Duke of Bedford. The present Woburn Abbey is the family seat (country house) of the Russells, whose senior title is the Dukedom of Bedford. The estate includes the Woburn Safari Park, a sizeable herd of deer and ornamental gardens. The house is usually open to visitors, and includes one of the finest private collections of historical portraits and a superb library.

The house, estate and family were the subject of a reality series on BBC 2 running to 29 episodes. The house has been used a number of times as a film set.

 References 

Category:Villages in Bedfordshire
Category:Civil parishes in Bedfordshire