![Coombe country park sunset over the deer park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Coombe_country_park_sunset_over_the_deer_park.JPG)
Coombe Country Park is a
country park
A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
United Kingdom
History
In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
located in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The park is only 4.5 miles (7.5 km) east of
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
city centre and is managed by
Coventry City Council
Coventry City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Coventry in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974.
The city is divided up into 18 Wards each with three councillors. Coventry ...
.
The park has been developed from the grounds of an old
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
abbey, the buildings of which have now been converted into the
Coombe Abbey
Coombe Abbey is a hotel which has been developed from a historic grade I listed building and former country house. It is located at Combe Fields in the Borough of Rugby, roughly midway between Coventry and Brinklow in the countryside of Warwicksh ...
hotel.
In the 18th century the landscape of the park was designed by
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English la ...
making it an historically important site for the region, however evidence dates back to occupation in the area to the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. The eldest daughter of
James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
,
Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia
Elizabeth Stuart (19 August 159613 February 1662) was Electress of the Palatinate and briefly Queen of Bohemia as the wife of Frederick V of the Palatinate. Since her husband's reign in Bohemia lasted for just one winter, she is called the Wi ...
was also educated at
Coombe Abbey
Coombe Abbey is a hotel which has been developed from a historic grade I listed building and former country house. It is located at Combe Fields in the Borough of Rugby, roughly midway between Coventry and Brinklow in the countryside of Warwicksh ...
, and there are links to
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educated ...
and the
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sought ...
.
The statue in the lake, 'Fisherman and Nymph', is by
Percy George Bentham
Percy George Bentham (1883–1936) was a British sculptor whose works include portrait busts, statues and several war memorials. He was a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, and a member of the Art Workers' Guild.
He was born in Fu ...
.
![Statue at Coombe - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Statue_at_Coombe_-_geograph.org.uk_-_290220.jpg)
The park now contains of woodlands, formal gardens, arboretum, open grasslands and lake. It has a visitor centre equipped with a Cafe, Gift shop, Crafty cat ceramics and Woodturners workshops. It also has a climbing forest, bird hide, summer wild flower meadow and an extensive events programme.
References
External links
Official Coombe Country Park page on Coventry City Council website
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Parks in Coventry
Country parks in Warwickshire