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Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, not far from central Croydon. Coombe is located between the green spaces of Shirley (Addington) Hills, Lloyd Park, Ballards and Coombe Wood. It is unusual in this part of South London as it has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Its rural character is maintained by the woodland aspect of the road and an old cattle trough at the junction of Coombe Lane and Oaks Road. Tramlink, however, runs through Coombe. Coombe Lane, the continuation of Coombe Road, is the principal road. Conduit Lane is an ancient unpaved route that is now a woodland path. There was an estate at Coombe as far back as 1221, recorded as being held by Richard of Coombe. In Elizabethan times, it was known as Broad Coombe. In the 17th century, it was owned by the brothers of William Harvey, who first described the circulation of blood. ==The houses of Coombe== Coombe House to the north of the road (), it dates back to 1761 and is Grade II listed.〔http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-201186-coombe-house-st-margaret-s-school-croydo〕 It is on the site of an older house - the Harveys' home. William Harvey stayed at the house frequently and had tunnels dug in the grounds in order to meditate in the dark. A 145 ft-deep well in the grounds of the house was said to be used by pilgrims to Canterbury on their journey to join the Pilgrims' Way, having come via the Archbishop's Croydon Palace. A Grade II listed brick icehouse is also in the grounds.〔http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-469084-ice-house-in-grounds-of-geoffrey-harris-〕 Substantial changes were made to the house in the 1830s. It was bought in the 1890s by Frank Lloyd, a newspaper magnate. His father Edward Lloyd founded ''Lloyd Weekly Newspaper'', later known as ''The Sunday News'', and also the ''Daily Chronicle''. He lived in Coombe House for 35 years until his death in 1927. Neighbouring Lloyd Park, created from land bequeathed by Lloyd, is named after him. The house was owned by an NHS Trust and was called Geoffrey Harris House.〔http://www.dotcomunity.org.uk/dcu3_resources_for_disabled.php?type=Provider&id=870&l2=5&l3=20&l4=94&area=36&local=Surrey〕 It is now owned by the PACT Educational Trust and, as of September 2013 reopened as The Cedars School, an independent all-boys senior school with a Catholic ethos.〔http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-201185-coombe-lodge-croydon〕 Coombe Lodge is a Grade II Listed Georgian red brick mansion built by the 1760s.〔http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-201185-coombe-lodge-croydon〕 () It was once called Coombe Gate House or Coombe Green House. In 1761, the estate joined with Coombe House and Coombe Farm, an estate that was split and reunited several times. A large conservatory, still there, was added in the late 19th century. After World War II the estate was bought by the County Borough of Croydon, which used the house as a home for the elderly. The Council's Parks Department built the Central Nursery in the grounds, and continued to be used until recently for growing Croydon's plants and making ''Croypost'', the municipal compost. Coombe Lodge was sold in 1988 and is now a restaurant and bar, with a large garden and the conservatory for public seating.〔http://www.thecedarsschool.org.uk/〕 Coombe Wood House () was built in 1898 for Arthur Lloyd, brother of Frank Lloyd. Some years later, then-owner William Cash sold the house to Croydon Corporation, which used the house as a convalescent and children's home. It is now a French restaurant, the Château (originally the "Château Napoleon").〔http://www.thechateaurestaurant.co.uk/〕 The ornamental gardens and 14 acres (57,000 m²) of woodland were kept by the Council and opened to the public in 1948. Coombe Wood Gardens are very popular, with a café in the old stable block. Coombe Farm is a large farmhouse off Oaks Road, reached via Oaks Lane. Oaks Lane was the former main road, closed by John Maberly of Shirley House in 1803 to increase his privacy. Oaks Road was its replacement and Oaks Lane is now open again to walkers. The building probably dates from the 16th century, with 19th-century additions. In 1893, another brother of Frank Lloyd, Herbert, built a much larger new building with mock-Tudor features beside the original building. The farm is now the centre of Dr. Anwar Ansari's housing services and property development company AA Homes & Housing Limited. There are also old farmhouses and lodges along Oaks Lane. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Coombe, Croydon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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