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aspects of land
| spring / summer 2017
DIVERSIFICATION
D
iversification is not a new
concept at Woburn. In 1953,
the Abbey opened its doors
to the public. In 1970 it launched the
safari park, followed by the Woburn
Golf and Country Club in 1976,
which now offers three tournament-
hosting courses.The estate also has a
55-room hotel in Woburn village and
was the first place to open Go Ape
as an in-house managed franchise
in the UK.The most recent addition
to its leisure portfolio is the Woburn
Forests Center Parcs, operating on a
lease, that opened in 2014.
“A strong emphasis on leisure is
a key part of the brand at Woburn.
It’s due to its readily accessible
location,” explains Michael Horton
of Savills Rural, Energy and Projects
who advises the estate on strategic
property and development issues.
“These businesses don’t just help
to secure the continuity of ownership
of the estate by contributing to its
upkeep, they also help it fulfil its
duties to the local community by
providing employment and
leisure opportunities.”
The estate is owned by the Trustees
of the Bedford Estates and has
been in the Russell family since the
16th century. It spans 13,500 acres,
employs 350 full time staff and its
various enterprises receive more than
one million visitors a year.
As well as leisure, the estate has
large farming and forestry operations,
350 let houses and a number of
villages on its land, including
Woburn where it owns and lets the
majority of the shops.
“The current Duke is very involved
in the running of the estate,” says
Julia Caudwell of Savills Rural,
Energy and Projects who helps
to manage the estate’s property
portfolios alongside an in-house
team. “He is in the estate office every
day, if he can be. It is not only a large
and complex business, but it is also
his home and he has a very clear
vision as to how it should operate.”
This vision balances respecting
tradition with fulfilling the modern
needs of the estate.
Julia is currently working on a
scheme to roll out superfast fibre
optic broadband across the estate.
“It was really needed and has come
at a good time,” says Julia. “The
village is experiencing a bit of a
renaissance and this has been crucial
to building on that.These days if you
can’t offer tenants a good wifi speed,
it really affects your rental market.”
The renaissance is largely due to
seizing the opportunities that its
location provides, says Michael.
“Milton Keynes [just 10 miles away]
is the fastest growing city outside of
London at the moment. So there are
a lot of businesses and people moving
into the area.”
“We’re also in the ‘golden triangle’
for UK logistics,” he explains. “So
WOBURN ESTATE
FOCUS ON…
Woburn is known for attractions that range from its
safari park to its golf course, and that’s just the beginning
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DID YOU KNOW…
The Dukes of Bedford were
instrumental in saving the Père
David (or milu) species of deer from
extinction. The species became
extinct in its native China in the early
1900s, but fortunately the 11th Duke of
Bedford had already created a small
herd at Woburn. After World War I, this
was the only surviving herd of Père
David in the world. In 1985, the 14th
Duke gave a number of animals back
to China to help rebuild the population.
The Chinese honoured the 14th Duke
with a lifesize statue in Beijing.