Channel 4 - Phil Spencers Stately Homes Series 1 (2016) Part 3 Woburn Abbey

In this television series, property expert Phil Spencer reveals his passion for historic houses on a grand tour of Britain's stately homes. He visits our country's finest - and most extravagant - country houses, to uncover the dramatic stories of their creation. Revealing the human stories behind the bricks and mortar and the logistical and technical challenges required to construct these houses, Phil unveils the hidden histories of our priceless heritage. Phil will be given VIP access and a key to the archive rooms to delve into the secrets of the house, including eye watering building costs. Taking each house back to the drawing board, Phil is given unprecedented access into fascinating stately home archives, to reveal the incredible ambition of the house's creators, as well as the monumental quantities of materials, labour - and money - involved in turning their flights of fancy into bricks and mortar. In each episode, Phil lifts the fa?ade of a house unique in its ambition, scale and taste. From the spectacular Scottish Lowlands to the stunning South Downs, Phil visits the nation's stately homes, exploring how and why these houses came to be. And how much some of them cost!

Part 3 Woburn Abbey

In this edition, Phil visits Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, ancestral home of the Dukes of Bedford for nearly 400 years. 'It's not your typical Location, Location, Location home!' admits Andrew, the 15th Duke. And with its magical shell grotto, sumptuous state rooms and 3000-acre deer park, it's hard to disagree. Woburn started life as a Cistercian Monastery, until it was transformed by the 4th Earl Francis Russell. On his journey through Woburn's history Phil 'meets' some of the other ancestors, including the 'flying' Duchess who turned part of the Abbey into a military hospital during the First World War, and the 'showman' Duke who saved Woburn from a crippling tax bill in the 1950s by throwing open his doors to the public - even welcoming nudists! Phil joins the skilled team of masons charged with restoring the Abbey to its former glory - and the crack cleaning squad who keep the house spick and span.

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