Combe Abbey, (also known as Coombe Country Park), Coventry, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

The Cistercian monastery of Combe was founded by Richard de Camville in 1150 (Victoria County History). In the 13th century the monks enclosed the adjacent villages of Upper and Lower Smite to create sheep pasture, and in the 15th century the monastic buildings were improved. The monastery was dissolved in 1539 and the site granted to Mary, Duchess of Somerset and Richmond, who in turn conveyed it to John Dudley, later Duke of Northumberland. In 1557 the estate was sold to Robert Kelway, Surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liveries, who until 1578 let it to a Leicester merchant, Sir William Wigston. At Kelway's death in 1581 Combe passed to his daughter, Elizabeth, who was married to John Harington of Exton, Rutland (see description of this site elsewhere in the Register). Harington converted the former monastic buildings into one of the most substantial houses in the county (Tyack 1994). John Harington was created a baron in 1603, and from 1603 to 1608 served as guardian to James I's daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who was accommodated at Combe. Lord Harington died in 1613 leaving Combe to his sister, Lucy, Countess of Bedford, who in turn sold it in 1622 to Elizabeth, widow of a former Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Craven. Lady Craven built up a group of estates for her son in Berkshire, where until 1714 the family had its principal residence at Hampstead Marshall (today known as Hamstead Gardens, Berkshire - see description of this site elsewhere in the Register). Sir William's son, also William, was a soldier fighting for the Protestant powers during the Thirty Years War; this led to his elevation to the peerage as Lord Craven of Hampstead Marshall in 1627. Lord Craven acted as Protector to Princess Elizabeth, now the widow of the Elector Palatine and former King of Bohemia.

Craven's estates were sequestrated under the Commonwealth, but following their restoration in 1662 Lord Craven was created an earl. An ambitious programme of rebuilding at Ashdown, Caversham Park (see description of both these sites elsewhere in the Register) and Hampstead Marshall then followed in the mid-17th century. Combe was occupied by the Earl of Craven's godson and agent, Sir Isaac Gibson, and subsequently by the Earl's cousin and heir, Sir William Craven. In 1682-9 William Winde rebuilt portions of the house for Lord Craven, and modifications were made to existing formal gardens; this work is shown in a bird's-eye engraving of around 1707 by J Kip. The Earl of Craven died in 1697 and was succeeded by his cousin's son as second Baron Craven. The third Baron Craven died childless in 1734 and was succeeded by his brother, Fulwar, who in turn died unmarried in 1764. A cousin, William Craven, inherited the title and estate, and died without issue in 1769, when he was succeeded as sixth baron by his nephew, also William.

In 1771-7 the sixth Lord Craven commissioned Lancelot Brown (1716-83) to landscape the 17th-century park surrounding Combe Abbey, and a series of landscape structures including lodges, kennels and a menagerie were built to designs either by Brown, or his son-in-law, Henry Holland (1745-1806). The sixth Baron's wife gained notoriety by absconding to Europe with the Margrave of Anspach, whom she married in 1791. The sixth Lord Craven died in 1791 and was succeeded by his son, William, seventh Baron Craven, who in 1801 was created Earl of Craven.

The second Earl, who inherited Combe in 1825, commissioned William Eden Nesfield (1835-88) to build a new east wing in 1866-72, while at the same period his father, William Andrews Nesfield (1793-1881), designed formal gardens around the house. These were further developed by the third Earl's gardener, William Miller (1828-1909), who after his retirement in 1899 set up in practice as a landscape gardener at Berkswell, Warwickshire. The third Earl, who had inherited in 1866, died in 1883 and was succeeded by his son, William, fourth Earl of Craven, who was drowned in a yachting accident in 1921. Combe Abbey and 120 acres (50 hectares) were sold by the fifth Earl in 1923 to John Gray, a Coventry builder, who demolished and altered parts of the house. In 1952 Gray leased the house to the General Electric Company for use as a hostel. At Gray's death in 1964 the property was sold to Coventry City Council. Today (2000) the house and formal gardens are leased for use as an hotel, while the park is a country park run by the City Council; other areas of the site are in divided private ownership.

Combe Abbey is one of a group of sites in Warwickshire at which Lancelot Brown advised in the mid- and late 18th century. These include Charlecote Park, Compton Verney, Newnham Paddox, Packington Hall, Ragley Hall and Warwick Castle (there are descriptions of all these sites in the Register).