Name: Wrest Park
Address: Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HR
Telephone: 0370 333 1181

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Wrest Park

We have changed the opening arrangements of our sites to play our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Wrest Park is open to local visitors and Members to use for exercise during the lockdown period. You will need to book in advance in order to visit, and we ask everyone to bear in mind the government’s latest advice on travelling before you plan your visit. All the interior spaces will be closed, but the grounds remain open. We have additional safety measures in place at all of our sites including social distancing, enhanced cleaning and limits on visitor numbers to protect the health of all our Members, visitors, staff and volunteers. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this difficult time.

How to book your visit

Read our FAQ

Keeping you safe

What to expect on your visit

See full prices and opening times

Address

Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HR

Book your visit

Wrest Park will be open Sat - Sun with last entry at 3pm. Please note all interiors are currently closed in line with government guidelines. Please read the visitor information below.

What you need to know

We've made some changes to help keep you safe, and things might be a little different when you visit. Here's everything you need to know.

Do we need to Book?

Advance booking is now essential. We have introduced limits on visitor numbers to help keep everyone safe, and you won’t be able to visit without your booking confirmation. If you’re a Member, your ticket will be free, but you still need to book in advance. Make sure you've read our ticketing FAQ before you book.

Book Tickets

Booking FAQs

What parts of the site are closed?
To comply with the latest government guidance, all indoor areas of Wrest Park are currently closed. This includes:

House

Archer Pavillion

Dairy Sculpture Gallery

The Orangery

The shop

What changes have you made to your facilities?

Cafe - The cafe is open for takeaway hot and cold refreshments only.

Toilets - The toilets is open with additional hand sanitising stations across the site.

Play area - The play area is open.

Plan your Visit

How are you keeping us safe?

We've made a number of changes to help keep you safe. Although things might be a little different when you visit, you’ll still be able to enjoy exploring the places where history really happened. And you’ll still be given a warm and safe welcome by our friendly – if socially distant – staff and volunteers.

You can visit our reopening page for information on general safety measures we've taken to help keep you safe.

General Safety Information

Do I need to wear a face covering?

Face coverings must be worn in all indoor areas. We won't be able to provide you with a face covering, so please come prepared so you don't miss out.

I still have questions.

The answers to all frequently asked questions can be found on our FAQ page.

Read our FAQs

Discover our hidden gems including an ornate marble fountain, the 18th century Bowling Green House and a striking Chinese Bridge and Temple. Stroll up the Long Water to the spectacular Archer Pavilion with its stunning interior making it the focal point of the gardens. Marvel at the fancy French curves and intricate Italian geometry of the restored bedding displays. From autumnal reds to lush greens in the summer, explore Wrest Park’s gardens anew throughout the seasons.

Things to See and Do

What's On

Book Art Workshop

Wed 14 Apr 2021 10am-12pm
Create Your Own Land Art!

Sat 17 Apr 2021 12.30pm-4.30pm

Wrest Park Timeline

Early 14th CenturyFirst de Greys

The de Grey family establish the manor of Wrest as their main residence.

1463-5Peak of Prominence

The family fortunes peak when Edward IV makes Edmund Grey his Lord Treasurer in 1463 and Earl of Kent in 1465.

1512-24A Fortune Squandered

Having squandered his inheritance, Edmund’s grandson Richard sells most of the family’s estates, including Wrest, to pay his debts. His half-brother Henry buys Wrest back 12 years later.

1658-1702First Formal Gardens

Amabel Benn, wife of Henry, the 10th Earl, together with their son, Anthony, and his wife, Mary, rebuild the north front of the house, lay out large formal gardens and create the Long Water.

Find out more about the history of Wrest Park

1702-40Continental Style

Henry Grey, Duke of Kent, inspired by what he has seen abroad, creates the Great Garden, a formal woodland garden centred on the Long Water.

1758Mystery of the Gardens

Henry’s granddaughter Jemima and her husband, Philip, bring in Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to soften the edges of the gardens while keeping their formal spirit – preserving, in Brown’s words, the ‘Mystery of the Gardens’.

1834-9French-Style House

Thomas Robinson, 2nd Earl de Grey, demolishes the old house, builds a new mansion in the French style and complements it with formal flower gardens.

See highlights from the collection at Wrest Park

1859-1905End of an Era

The last Grey to live at Wrest is Anne, the dowager Countess Cowper, a staunch evangelical and philanthropist. Her son Francis, 7th Earl Cowper, inherits, but visits Wrest rarely.

1906-12American in Residence

Francis’s nephew Auberon (‘Bron’) Herbert leases Wrest to the American ambassador, Whitelaw Reid.

1914-16First World War

Wrest is used as a convalescent home and later a military hospital, which is forced to close in September 1916 after a fire.

1916-17Wrest Sold

Bron Herbert is killed in action, and his sister Nan sells Wrest to brewing and mining magnate John George Murray.

1939-45Second World War

The Sun Insurance Company buys Wrest for its wartime headquarters. Many of its employees live on site, sleeping in the converted stables or dormitory huts in the grounds.

1946-2006Research Base

The Ministry of Works buys Wrest and leases it to the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering (later the Silsoe Institute), which becomes world renowned for its research into farm mechanisation and trials of new techniques and equipment.

2006-Restoring the Gardens

English Heritage takes over the house and eastern service buildings, and embarks on a 20-year plan to restore the gardens to their pre-1917 appearance.

Learn more about the history of Wrest Park

Nearby Places
Similar Places

De Grey Mausoleum, Flitton
1.82 miles from Wrest Park
Houghton House
3.93 miles from Wrest Park
Bushmead Priory
15.6 miles from Wrest Park

Nearby Places
- De Grey Mausoleum, Flitton
  1.82 miles from Wrest Park
- Houghton House
  3.93 miles from Wrest Park
- Bushmead Priory
  15.6 miles from Wrest Park
Similar Places

Gallery for Wrest Park

English Heritage

How to book your visit

Keeping you safe

What you need to know

Things to See and Do

Parterres and Woodland

Hidden Garden Gems

Dairy Sculpture Gallery

Archaeological Collections Store Tours

The Revitalisation Project

Eating and Shopping

Children's Play Area

Pop-up Secondhand Bookshop