Character has
a history.
A historic Woburn house, now my home, thoughtfully restored and filled with the things I have collected and loved.
Personal by nature.
Havisham House has been my home since 2016, and it is a genuine pleasure to welcome guests to share its comfort, warmth and individual character.
My name is Adam and I am your host. My mother, Erica, also helps me welcome guests, and together we hope every visit feels relaxed and memorable from the moment you arrive.
This is very much a lived-in home. Throughout the house you will find my own furniture, original artwork, books, antiques and treasured collections gathered over many years.
A house with more than one story.
The precise age of Havisham House remains uncertain. Its architecture suggests that parts may date from the late Georgian period, probably between 1780 and 1820, although no surviving document confirms an exact construction date.
An 1875 Abstract of Title describes two former tenements in London Road—now George Street—which had at one time been divided into four smaller dwellings. By 1853, the property had become the White Hart Beerhouse, owned in later years by William Hipwell, an Olney brewer.
Life at the White Hart was not always uneventful. In 1855, its keeper, Joseph Foxley, reported a theft by William Martin. Martin was convicted and sentenced to six months’ hard labour at Bedford Gaol—a small but wonderfully vivid glimpse of life here more than 170 years ago.
A licensing inspection in 1903 found the beerhouse “clean and in fairly good repair.” It continued serving the local community until closing in 1917. The Duke of Bedford purchased the property in 1920, but by 1927 it was recorded as the “former White Hart”—vacant, in bad repair and awaiting its next chapter.
Nearly a century later, the building is once again full of life. Today it is my home: restored, individual and still contributing its own distinctive character to historic George Street.
The making of Havisham House.
When I bought Havisham House, I spent almost a year renovating it to create a home of my own—somewhere personal, characterful and shaped by the things I love.
Walls were opened, the roof rebuilt and rooms carefully reshaped. The work retained the character of the house while creating the warm, colourful home I live in and enjoy today.
It remains first and foremost my home. I welcome a small number of guests and share with them the individual house and garden I have created—with thoughtful details and, from the beginning, Great Expectations.
A home in historic George StreetHavisham House stands among the period buildings of one of Woburn’s most characterful streets, where varied brickwork quietly records different generations of the town’s history.
Collected—not coordinated.
Interior design has always been one of my greatest pleasures. I love combining antiques with contemporary pieces, bold colour, texture, original art and objects that raise a smile.
No two rooms are alike. Every space has evolved naturally, giving Havisham House the warmth and personality of a real home rather than the uniformity of a hotel.
Meet Stanley.
Stanley is part of life at Havisham House and brings his own considerable personality to the home.
He takes his duties seriously: greeting visitors, inspecting the garden and ensuring every cosy chair meets his exacting standards. Guests are warmly invited to say hello if they spot His Lordship during their stay.
Chief Happiness Officer · Head of Garden Patrol · Official Keeper of Smiles
Welcome to
Havisham House.
Although the name is modern, it celebrates Charles Dickens and the timeless atmosphere of Great Expectations. The Dickens, Estella and Pip rooms carry that gentle thread through my home. Thank you for becoming part of its continuing story; I hope you leave with happy memories of both the house and beautiful Woburn.
Adam Woolmer
Discover the rooms