Exotic Birds And Wildlife
The Cone House is a Humphry Repton designed structure that was part of the original plans for a menagerie within the gardens of Woburn Abbey. The menagerie consisted of exotic birds and wildlife from around the world. The Cone House was the viewing platform for the Duke, Duchess and their guests to safely watch the wild animals, with the protection of the expanse of water in front.
The Cone House was decorated with cones from the newly imported conifers that graced the estate.
Cone House Reconstruction
In 2013, we reconstructed and restored the Cone House using the original pictures and descriptions by Humphry Repton. For the construction, we were able to use the original foundations and stone pads in the pond to erect the house.
The cones used to decorate the house were, once again, collected from the original conifer trees on the estates.