ONE of the most beautiful and tranquil drives you could undertake is a visit to the historic Woburn Abbey, seat of the Bedford family and home to the current holder of the aristocratic title, the 15th Duke. He is well known to all in the world of breeding and bloodstock sales as Andrew Bedford, one of the directors of Tattersalls.

Woburn Abbey was founded as a Cistercian Abbey in 1145, but became home to John Russell, the 1st Earl of Bedford in 1547 - fully 470 years ago - and has been their seat ever since. Andrew’s mother Henrietta, Lady Tavistock, established a thoroughbred breeding operation at Woburn Abbey, named Bloomsbury Stud, and she struck gold with the purchase in 1975 of the mare Mrs Moss.