Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WEST WYCOMBE
The ravishing village of West Wycombe is one of the most atmospheric in the Chil-
terns, with rows of neat Georgian and Victorian cottages enhanced by the
Church
of St. Lawrence,
perched on West Wycombe Hill and topped by a huge golden ball.
Parts of the church date from the 13th century; its interior was copied from a 3rd-
century Syrian sun temple. The view from the hill is worth the trek up alone. Near
the church stands the
Dashwood Mausoleum,
built in 1765 in a style derived from
Constantine's Arch in Rome, but the main attraction here is
West Wycombe Park
(see below for admission information), seat of the Dashwood family. Now owned by
the National Trust, the mansion is one of the best examples of Palladian-style archi-
tecture in England thanks to infamous libertine Sir Francis Dashwood who began to
overhaul the property in exuberant Italianate style in the 1740s. The interior is lav-
ishly decorated with paintings and antiques from the 18th century, with ceiling fres-
cos copied from Italian
palazzi.
The rococo-style gardens are also well worth
exploring, littered with ornamental buildings and statuary.
Sir Francis also commissioned the excavation of the
Hell-Fire Caves
(see below
for admission information) on the estate to serve as a meeting place for the notorious
Hellfire Club,
which spent its time partying and drinking. The cave is about a half-
mile long, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and dotted with statues.
West Wycombe Park:
High St.
&
01494/755571.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
Admission £7.25 adults,
£3.60 children 5-15, free for children 4 and under, £18 family ticket; grounds only £3.60 adults, £2.10
children. June-Aug Sun-Thurs 2-6pm; grounds only Apr-May Sun-Thurs 2-6pm. Located 2 miles west
of High Wycombe at the west end of West Wycombe, south of A40; take Arriva bus 40 (from High
Wycombe to Thame).
Hell-Fire Caves:
Church Lane, West Wycombe.
&
01494/533739.
www.hellfirecaves.co.uk.
Admission
£5 adults, £4 seniors and children 3-16, £15 family ticket. Apr-Oct daily 11am-5:30pm; Nov-Mar 11am-dusk.
WOBURN
On the southern border of Bedfordshire, at the very northern edge of the Chilterns
(some 44 miles north of London) lies the village of Woburn and its justly celebrated
abbey (actually a mansion). The great 18th-century Georgian home has been the
traditional seat of the dukes of Bedford for more than 3 centuries.
Woburn Abbey
ABBEY You'll need the best part of a day to do this spec-
tacular Georgian country house justice. The history of the abbey dates back to 1145,
when it really was a religious house for Cistercian monks, but it did not become the
family home of the Russell family until 1619 (William Russell became the first Duke
of Bedford in 1694). Most of what you see today dates from building programs in the
1740s and 1802.
Its three floors are crammed with 18th-century French and English furniture, lav-
ish silver and gold collections, and a wide range of porcelain. Paintings by Gainsbor-
ough, Reynolds, Van Dyck, and Canaletto are on display (including the latter's 21
views of Venice, in the dining room), while the Blue Drawing Room is supposedly
where the tradition of afternoon tea was “invented” in 1840. Look out also for George
Gower's
Armada Portrait
of Elizabeth I. Her hand rests on the globe, as Philip's invin-
cible armada perishes in the background.
Today, Woburn Abbey is surrounded by a 1,214-hectare (3,000-acre) deer park,
home to 10 species of deer, including native Red Deer and Fallow Deer, and the larg-
est herd of Pere David Deer in the U.K.
Woburn Safari Park
(£19 adults, £14 children 3-15, £60 family ticket) was added
to the grounds in 1970, and today is a thriving business with a separate entrance. It
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