Woburn
Woburn maps (2 available)
Map of Bedfordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Bedfordshire
Personalised maps
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Woburn books (5 available)
- 4 photos on Woburn appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Woburn
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Woburn and Bedfordshire
Woburn memories
Read and share memories of Woburn and Bedfordshire inspired by Frith photos
Shop names and trades.
The buildings from left to right are an antique shop, then a sweet shop that was full of the most delightful assortment of sweets all in glass jars and weighed out on brass scales into white paper bags. Then Dudeney and Johnston the grocers - they had man who went around the villages on his bicycle one day a week taking grocery orders which were then delivered by van to your door. The door with a canopy and small windows either side is a Bank, then Mr Jones's shoe shop. I think the two buildings leading to the corner were private houses. The double fronted building on the far right was a cafe.
Contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson
Buildings.
The buildings featured from left to right - (I do not know the history of the white house), then there are the pillars which are the entrance to the churchyard and mortuary chapel. The church, built in 1865, was used until 1980 for funerals only. It was then declared redundant and turned into a Heritage Centre. In the churchyard which is still used are the graves of several Second World War Canadian, Polish and English soldiers. Woburn Primary School is just around the curve in this photo. The entrance door is set in a wall and can be missed unless you know it is the school. Woburn School has a very long history having been ...read more here
Contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson
Shop names and trades.
The buildings from left to right are the Post Office with Drakelow Press printing and bookbinding firm in buildings above and behind it. Established prior to 1827 by a Stephen Dodd, in 1951 it became known as Drakelow Press. The there is the Black Horse pub, a wool/haberdashery shop, a grocery shop, Gibbs and Dandy Ironmongers which was a treasure trove of nails, screws, string, buckets, mops etc. Then on the corner a cafe.
Contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson
Bedfordshire memories
Shop names and trades.
The buildings from left to right are the Post Office with Drakelow Press printing and bookbinding firm in buildings above and behind it. Established prior to 1827 by a Stephen Dodd, in 1951 it became known as Drakelow Press. The there is the Black Horse pub, a wool/haberdashery shop, a grocery shop, Gibbs and Dandy Ironmongers which was a treasure trove of nails, screws, string, buckets, mops etc. Then on the corner a cafe.
A memory of Woburn contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson
Extracts From Woburn & Bedfordshire books
Early Woburn suffered by fire in 1505, and again in 1724, but was entirely rebuilt on both occasions. The second
time it was rebuilt with the benevolent assistance of the Duke of Bedford, a fact that is reflected in the open
aspect of its modern layout and the quality of the Georgian facades on the main road through the village.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Living Memories".
Now one of the busiest road junctions in the rural region, in 1952 the centre of Woburn was a study in tranquillity. The three-storied and broad-fronted architecture in this section of the village indicates a predominance of wealth and large families among the original owners, following the rebuilding after the fire of 1724.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
The reverse view from picture W300006. Note the traditional checkerboard brickwork on the cottages to the right, which also appear to have been the subject of some infill building since the 18th century. The school sign, of the original British pattern, probably indicates the proximity of the school originally established by Francis, the 5th Earl of Bedford.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
The date of this photograph is the year in which the Duke of Bedford opened Woburn Abbey to visitors in the commercial sense. There is little in the picture to indicate that the town was about to enter an era of prosperity as a ‘honey pot’. As an example, consider the size of the Post Office on the left of Bedford Street. It is doubtful if it could cope with the demands of modern visitor throughput. The houses all bear the signs of the Russell family’s patronage following the fire of 1724. Cobbled pavements and wide roads are legacies of the period.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
Consecrated in 1868, the parish church was funded entirely by William, the 8th Duke of Bedford, at a cost of £35,000. The architect was a Mr Clutton, who designed the building in the Continental Gothic style.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".