Duke of Bedford opens garden gates
19 April 2010
Six acres of private gardens owned by the Duke of Bedford are opening to the public for the first time this year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the completion of the gardens at Woburn Abbey, in Bedfordshire, to a design by celebrated Victorian landscape architect Humphry Repton.
The Duke's personal gardens were originally designed by Repton as a menagerie including exotic birds and animals such as peacocks, llamas and antelope. Now informally planted with woodland glades, the gardens enjoy landscaped views down the Camellia Lake across the gardens to the church tower in the nearby village of Woburn.
Woburn Abbey was laid out by Humphry Repton over eight years, between 1802 and 1810, at the request of the 6th Duke of Bedford. He created a number of themed garden areas including an arboretum, an American garden and a Thornery. The Abbey has recently restored five of Repton's original features, including the Camellia House, Heathland Garden and Doric Temple.
The 200th anniversary celebrations are opened by the Duchess of Bedford on 15t and 16 May with a weekend of gardening-themed events. The Duke's gardens are open daily.
More about Woburn Abbey