Earnshill House Explained

Earnshill House
Coordinates:50.9919°N -2.8769°W
Location:Curry Rivel, Somerset, England
Built:1725
Architect:John Strachen
Architecture:Palladian
Designation1:Grade I Listed Building
Designation1 Date:17 April 1959
Designation1 Number:1249217

Earnshill House in Hambridge, near Curry Rivel, Somerset, England is a manor house, set in parkland. It was built in 1725 for Henry Combe, a Bristol merchant by John Strachan. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]

History

The manor of Earnshill was owned by Muchelney Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries and then became the property of the Jennings family. In 1720 it was bought by the Bristol merchant Henry Combe who was a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers and later mayor of the city. It was then passed on through his family,[2] via his son Richard Combe (MP).[3]

During World War II the house was used for children evacuated from Durlston Court School that was in Dorset at the time but now in Hampshire.[4] [5]

Architecture

The entrance is of five bays with projecting wings on either side. The house is built of brick with Hamstone dressings in a Palladian style.

The outside of the house includes a walled garden as part of a wider area of parkland, with substantial gatepiers at the entrance to the drive. There was also an attached farm with a brick barn.[6] In the surrounding woodland was a four-pipe duck decoy with nine shooting positions.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Earnshill House. historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. 2009-07-03.
  2. Book: Delderfield. Eric R.. West Country Historic Houses and their families: Volume 2. Dorset, Wiltshire and North Somerset. 1970. David & Charles. Newton Abbot. 978-0715349106. 62–65.
  3. Web site: Combe, Richard (?1728-80), of Earnshill, nr. Langport, Som.. History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. 28 October 2014.
  4. Web site: Reunion at Earshill D-Day June 6th 2004. Durlstone Court. 23 September 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402212134/http://www.durlstoncourt.co.uk/earnshill.htm. 2 April 2012.
  5. Web site: I Remember When in the 40s. Durlstone Court. 23 September 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402212153/http://www.durlstoncourt.co.uk/1940s-home.htm. 2 April 2012.
  6. Web site: Barn in the original farmyard at Earnshill Farm, Bushfurlong Road (East side, off), Hambridge. Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council.
  7. Web site: Duck decoy, Earnshill House, Hambridge. Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. 28 October 2014.