Combe Abbey And Bridge Over Moat Attached To South

Combe Abbey is a country house with a bridge over a moat, originally a Cistercian abbey founded in 1150. The building has significant origins in the 12th century, with major phases of construction and alteration in the 13th, late 16th, late 17th, and 19th centuries. Architects involved include Isaac Gibson and William Winde, with later work by Nesfield, portions of which were demolished in the 1920s. The abbey is largely sandstone ashlar, with tiled and slate roofs.

The U-shaped design incorporates a C15 cloister, with later C16 additions above, forming the entrance facade. A C19 stone porch shelters a plank door centrally located to the right of the cloister. The cloister features C15 four-light windows with cusped heads and 4-centred arches, punctuated by buttresses. A blocked round-headed arch is located to the far left. The first floor to the left shows a stuccoed timber-frame and stone construction from the late 16th century, with seven wood oriel windows of four leaded lights, featuring mullions, transoms, and gabled heads supported by consoles. A range projecting to the right has a second-story with two four-light wood casements. A moulded eaves cornice runs above.

Opposite the entrance facade are the remains of the late 12th century Chapter House, with a central arch composed of four orders of shafts and capitals. Archways to either side contain two round-headed lights set within a round-headed arch supported on three orders of shafts, the middle order paired. A blocked arch is situated to the right. Nesfield additions above were constructed in the 1860s and later demolished. To the right of the Chapter House are the vestiges of a C12 warming room, rebuilt by Nesfield and retaining some original features.

The garden front presents two ranges. A seven-bay range designed by William Winde (1680-91) is located to the left, featuring 24-pane sash windows with moulded architraves, triangular pediments, segmental pediments, and flat hoods supported on consoles; the central first-floor window has a flat hood on fluted columns with capitals. A pediment above this section was carved by Howard Pierce. A modillion eaves cornice is present. The range to the left, along with the attic storey, were demolished in 1925. Rainwater heads dated 1684 are still visible. A mid-17th-century wing was added to the right by Isaac Gibson; the ground and first floor sashes originally had mullions and transoms, later removed, and are framed by moulded architraves. Three-light stone mullioned windows define the gables of the second floor, and hood-moulds are present on the first and second floor windows. A C20 bay is situated on the ground floor.

The north facade retains remains of William Winde’s North Saloon. The east facade displays vestiges of Nesfield’s East range, demolished in the 20th century, with Neo-Norman arches on the ground floor remaining.

Inside, the cloister features C15 ceilings. William Winde's dining room (1684) boasts plaster ceilings by E. George, and a wood-panelled room exhibits Ionic columns supporting the ceiling, along with an alabaster fireplace and panelled doors. Combe Abbey passed to the Harrington family at the Dissolution and later became the seat of the Craven family until the early 20th century.