Garden History

View of Wrest Park from SE of the Pavilion, Cain Hill House in the distance but not the old Wrest Park house which is hidden by trees. By Peter Tillemans early 18th Century [ref.L33/129]

Researching the history of gardens is a popular pursuit and goes hand in hand with the restoration of gardens such as the Swiss Garden, Old Warden and the Luton Hoo Walled Garden. We have produced three short guides to gardens in Bedfordshire and how to research them using our service.

• A brief history of gardens in Beds is a quick look at gardens from the Middle ages to the 20th century.
• Big estates  goes into more depth about four large estate gardens: Woburn, Wrest, Southill and Flitwick.
• How to is a guide to the different sources available at Bedfordshire Archives Service and how they may be useful in garden history research.