Located in Central Bedfordshire, Wrest Park is a manor house with its gardens which has to be explored. As a family we did our first visit here but as a couple, Olga and I visited the park way back in 2012. The sun was out and as we are English Heritage members, we didn’t have to pay for entrance (as the entrance fees are covered in our membership). However you don’t need to be a member to visit the park, so check out the prices via English Heritage here.
After going through the admissions gate and passing the children's play area, toilets, cafes and gift shop, we headed to the dominant feature of the park, the house. Built in the 1830s, the house is set in a restored garden landscape based on 17th century design. The actual house is amazing to check out, it is a fine piece of 19th century English architecture which is very similar to the style of the 18th century French chateau. This estate was home to one of the leading aristocratic families in the country for over six hundred years, and each generation left its mark on the estate. The family reached its greatest prominence when Edward IV made Edmund Grey his Lord Treasurer in 1463 and then Earl of Kent in 1465. More than 200 years later the formal gardens and the canal known as the Long Water were created by Amabel Benn, together with her son, Anthony, the eleventh Earl, and his wife, Mary.
Walking around the main house, I got to see some amazing artwork and a grand staircase, however it was the library which impressed me very much. There were books over one hundred years old and not just in English but I saw books in German, French and Latin. One the way out the Countess Sitting Room was probably the most decorative room we came across. Next to it is the conservatory, I like to call it a big greenhouse. This is connected to the Countess Sitting Room so the Countess could be close to nature especially on rainy days. Half of the house is still closed off to the public and just to point out, during the First World War, the house was turned into a hospital for returning injured soldiers.
The stroll around the park was a pleasant one, however from the house towards the South Pavilion was a gorgeous scene. It felt like you were in some kind of a Victorian era movie set. It was both beautiful and peaceful at the same time. I love the long stretch of water (as mentioned earlier) which makes the landscape even more unique. It felt like I could have been on the set of Bridgerton or Downton Abbey.
Inside the South Pavilion which was built between 1709 and 1711, the most notable feature is the large circular room with a domed ceiling and its trompe-l'œil wall paintings designed by Mark Anthony Hauduroy (trompe-l'œil is a style of painting which makes the painted objects appear three-dimensional). As I stood in the middle of the room looking up, I noticed that all I had inside was the natural lighting coming through its various pockets of ceiling holes and surrounding windows.
The afternoon out was a blast for the children and despite running around the big green lawns of the park and having fun in the children's playpark, they really took in the buildings and loved the grandeur of them. They kept asking where the princess was. How Olga and I laughed. They really enjoyed themselves as they went to bed early that very evening. For adults, if you love mansions, palaces, beautiful parks etc, then this is the place to be. We were even entertained with an outdoor mini concert in the grounds and a lot of visitors brought their picnic baskets, blankets as well as cricket sets, footballs to play with the kids. It is a truly wonderful ‘English’ day out.
Essential information for a day out at Wrest Park
How to get to: Wrest Park is located in Central Bedfordshire of the A6 road between Luton and Bedford. To get to this area from the North or London, it is best to take the Motorway M1 to junction 13 and take A507 towards Flitwick and Ampthill. Follow this road to Clophill and take a third exit on the roundabout taking A6 south towards Luton. The park is about one mile further on by turning right into Silsoe (following the brown signs for Wrest Park). The Clophill roundabout also connects the A507 to the A1(M) at Baldock.
For trains, the nearest station is Flitwick on the Bedford to London St Pancras/London Bridge/Brighton line with Thameslink. There is a taxi rank outside for the four mile journey to Wrest Park.
And for those coming from abroad, the nearest airports are London Luton, London Stansted, London Heathrow, London City and London Gatwick. The first place I would go to find airline tickets to the city is using (I would recommend) Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking.
Car Rentals - as I do a lot of road trips around the world, I use Rentalcars.com which is very reliable for booking car hire in advance. I also use Turo (the airbnb of car rentals) and never had a problem with them. The cars are insured, owners vetted and never had an issue.
Accommodation: There are a lot of accommodation options and a lot of websites which can do some great deals. My first point of call is always Booking.com and can offer a range of hostels, hotels, campsites, apartments, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.. After that I always have a look through AirBnb and Vrbo for great deals on apartments and other lodgings especially when traveling as a family.
Currency: England uses the British Pound. Currency can be exchanged at the airports and train stations (for a huge fee) so I would recommend either going to a currency exchange place downtown, to a bank (if they have good rates) or if you got a good bank account with fantastic exchange rates, then use an ATM machine (may incur a small fee but I always do this option as I got good bank accounts). A great website I use to compare currency exchange rates is XE, which gives people up to date information.
Language: England uses the English language and is used all over the country. Just to point out there are many dialects and other languages like Cornish-Gaelic used in the country but everyone who speaks English will understand other dialects from other regions.
Watch out for: As far as I am aware, there are no major scams to look out for. As always in Europe, watch out for the usual pickpockets or any pretty crimes but I felt very safe at Wrest Park.
Travel insurance: This is essential to anywhere you go in the world. I always carry travel insurance. Having travel insurance will cover you from theft, illness and those annoying cancellations which can happen on the road. Safety Wing offers coverage for a lot of adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and so forth.
Need a visa for the UK? Always check if you need a visa when coming to the United Kingdom. Since leaving the European Union because of BrExit in January 2020, visa rules apply for those coming from European Union.
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Please note that while I was not working with any companies in Wrest Park, my review and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value my readers too much to lie to you. My blog would be nothing without you and your continued support! There maybe some links above which are affiliate and are at no additional cost to you. If my readers use them, I earn a commission to buy their products and remember, I only mentioned products and companies I use. The income from this keeps this website going. Thank you.
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