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The History of Coombe
Coombe Abbey Hotel stands proud in 500 Acres of Parkland.
Much of the splendour of its original state can be admired, and
parts of the Cistercian Abbey are impressively restored to their former glory.
The Abbey of Cumbe (at it was then know) was the largest
and most powerful monastery in Warwickshire. The majority of
the land was used for sheep farming and growing crops of cereals.
The Abbey remained in the hands of the Monks until the dissolution
of the Monasteries in 1539, whereby the land was appropriated
by King Henry VIII. The construction of the Stone Built Cloisters
in 1509, shortly before the dissolution can still be seen today.
The estate changed hands several times and was acquired by John
Harrington in the year 1581. Many parts of the original Abbey
were incorporated into the building of his new house.
In 1603 Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I, came to live
and be educated at Coombe Abbey. In 1605, Guy Fawkes famous
gunpowder plot failed. His plan had been to kidnap the Princess
Elizabeth from Coombe Abbey and put her on the throne, following
the assassination of her father.
The Craven Family purchased Coombe Abbey n 1622, and it remained
with them for 300 years. Throughout their time at the Abbey,
various additional buildings were added, such as the West Wing
in 1677. The Craven Family employed Lancelot Capability Brown
in 1771 to redesign the gardens and surrounding land at Coombe.
By damming the Smite Brook, he created the Main Lake and Top
Pool. His work can be seen to this day, remaining little unchanged
over two centuries.
In 1922, the estate were sold by the Craven Family to a property
developer named John Todd. Dividing the estate into various
lots, he began to sell at auction. A builder named John Gray bought
the house and grounds in 1923, and demolished much of the East Wing and
sold many of the interior fittings to recoup much of the purchase price.
Coventry City Council purchased Coombe Abbey in 1964 along with
its estate of 150 acres. A series of vital restoration work
followed and in 1966, the Regional Park was opened to the public.
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