To preserve Woburn for future generations there is a constant need to repair and restore. Not only is the fabric old, but all the main buildings are built in a soft local limestone which needs constant maintenance. Needless to say we have a phased annual repair programme which can be compared to that of the Forth Rail Bridge!
Three major external projects have been completed within the last 10 years; the restoration of Chambers Bridge, restoring the carved tympanum over the East Court and work on the south front of the Abbey.
Chambers Bridge, which you pass over when you enter the park, was in very poor condition. As it is also a dam and cascade between two lakes, the repair work was given top priority. The stone face was decayed, and some of the balustrading had fallen. The faces of the arches and cascade were repaired, the balustrades taken down, repaired and refixed using proceeds from a highly successful Tina Turner concert held within the grounds!
At around the same time it was discovered that the carved tympanum over the East Court had decayed badly. A full-size drawing was made to establish the original details of the Garter Star and Coronet of the Fourth Duke and the new carving was brought to Woburn and fixed in position. This time it was the success of a Dire Straits concert that allowed work to proceed.
The process of repair and conservation inside the Abbey is no less complex where a recent project has involved the painstaking restoration of the very fragile Chinese wallpaper in the ballroom.