Work on Wrest Park’s Grade 1 listed building and gardens began in April 2011.  Cultural Innovations has been working with English Heritage to re-interpret and re-create the historical and social narratives that underpin this major Bedfordshire heritage attraction since November 2009.  The magnificent formal gardens (inspired by the great gardens of Versailles) are overlooked by an imposing French-style 18th century mansion and contain some outstanding garden buildings.

Wrest is the seat of the de Grey family who owned land here from the 1260’s and lived here from the early 14th century when John de Grey, 2nd Lord Grey of Wilton, built a chantry chapel at nearby Silsoe.  Despite fluctuating fortunes the family remained at Wrest until the early 20th century, establishing a substantial estate that extends across five adjacent parishes today.

Wrest Park is one of the few places in the world where visitors can see the evolution of landscape gardening over the last 300 years.  The gardens are a rare survival of 18th and 19th century formal gardens.  What makes them both unique and internationally significant is the fact that each generation of the de Grey family who lived at Wrest Park, respected the work of their predecessors and although they responded to key trends in landscape and garden design, they maintained the underlying structure of the garden.

English Heritage took over the property in 2006 and announced a 20 year masterplan to restore the building and gardens.  Cultural Innovations was commissioned to design a suite of exhibitions and displays across the property that brings to life Wrest Park’s historical and social scenes for the public.  Historical vignettes filled with props and historical artefacts allow visitors a glimpse into the lives of the characters who lived there, how they influenced the estate’s evolution and give an insight into what life at Wrest used to be like.

It is anticipated that this phase of the Heritage Lottery Funded project will be completed in August 2011.



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