Coombe Abbey Hotel is a former country house and grade I listed building that now serves as a luxury hotel and picturesque country park in Warwickshire, England. Coombe Abbey was founded as a monastery in the 12th century before becoming a Royal property in the 16th century, before being caught up in the gun powder plot! This weekend we headed to the countryside, residing in Coombe Abbey to celebrate a seriously fabulous family wedding.
The History: Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century Coombe Abbey became royal property. Elizabeth of Bohemia, the daughter of king James I, was educated there in the early 17th century. Had the Gunpowder Plot succeeded she was to have been abducted from Coombe Abbey and proclaimed as Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1682, the West Wing was added by architect Captain William Winde, who also designed Buckingham House, which later became Buckingham Palace. For successive generations Coombe Abbey was owned by the Earls of Craven, in whose possession the estate remained until 1923.
The Gardens: In 1771, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown redesigned the gardens, incorporating the Coombe Pool lake. We spent Saturday morning exploring the gardens at Coombe Abbey Hotel, admiring the moat that surrounds the hotel, watching the ducklings and signets swimming proudly. The gardens are teaming with flowers and wildlife providing the perfect picturesque picnicking spot for locals and visitors.
Inside the Abbey: The interior of the abbey holds all the original medieval features and has been decorated in a sympathetic way, perfectly in keeping with the architecture. Ornate busts, statues and intricate woodwork line the halls, the inside of the hotel is like a medieval maze and is pretty easy to get lost in! Guest bedrooms rooms are kitted out with all mod cons and the hotel has wifi throughout. The bedrooms have opulant curtains, drapes and soft furnishings in heavy brocades and velvets in damask designs. The hotel is a popular wedding venue, holds themed medieval banquets and has a restaurant serving afternoon teas and evening meals. There’s an abundance of spacious halls inside perfect for large groups, we hired one of the rooms for a huge family breakfast, the morning after the wedding, which was the ideal space for us all to get together for a post ceremony reunion.
The Wedding: It was so wonderful to get together as a family to celebrate such a joyous occasion in such a fabulous setting. Huge congratulations to Leanna and cousin Peter on tying the knot and sharing in their happy day. There’s nothing better than getting together with all the family, eating heaps of great food and sharing so many laughs. Here are a few photos from the day.
‘Family is one of nature’s masterpieces’ -George Santayana
Christine
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