The Walled Garden, Combe abbey, Warwickshire

1 2 The Walled Garden at Combe Abbey forms part of the Grade II* listed Registered Garden. The garden was created as part of Lancelot’ Capability’ Brown’s reorganisation of the Combe Abbey landscape. Two buildings which are on a different alignment to the garden could be placed to capture the sun or could be remnants of an earlier garden. On the 1859 map they are labelled hot-houses suggesting the former. The 1859 plan (Bland, hood and Galland, private ownership George Demidowicz) is slightly more simplified than the 1778. Two additional structures are shown set against the north-west garden wall. The garden was rebuilt for the 2nd Earl of Craven in 1861. The architect was W Eden Nesfield and the head gardener William Miller. The 1864 plan by Miller shows his intended layout.
3 The Walled Garden may have been constructed as early as 1740.
4 It is first illustrated on a plan of 1778 which shows the garden as a rectangle with an oval ha-ha. The internal arrangement is symmetrical with eight divisions.
5 The First Edition Ordnance survey map of 1886 shows that Miller had achieved his intended layout.