Coombe Lodge and Langford Estate history

The Coombe Lodge Estate was created by the purchase of Coombe Lodge , Blagdon and 400 acres in 1879 by Sir W H Wills only Son of WD Wills. He made further purchases of land and property in and around Blagdon between 1880-1898. Sir William was Chairman of WD and HO Wills which became the Imperial Tobacco Company. He built many Farmhouses, Cottages including Shops, the Village Club and Rickford Chapel. He was later created Lord Winterstoke. When he died in 1911 his eldest nephew Sir George Wills inherited his Estate and succeeded him as Chairman of the Imperial Tobacco Company. His two adopted daughter inherited his other properties.

Sir George continued to improve the Estate. He lived at Burwalls in Leigh Woods during the week and Coombe Lodge at weekends. Sir George purchased Langford Court and a farm off the Llewellyn Family in 1917 for his eldest Son and family to live. He also acquired additional land and property known as Mendip Lodge Estate in 1923. Sir George died in 1928 and left his Estates to his only son Vernon.

Sir Vernon demolished Coombe Lodge in 1929 and commissioned Sir George Oatley to design a new residence. Unfortunately Sir Vernon died in 1932 before Coombe Lodge was completed. As Sir George and Sir Vernon died within four years of one another there was a large amount of Tax to pay. Fortunately a large number of Tobacco shares were sold, so the Estate remained intact. Sir Vernon’s widow and young family moved into the newly completed Coombe Lodge. One of Vernon’s sisters moved into Langford Court and after her death it was let to Westwing Girls School. Sir Vernon’s eldest son Peter aged 22 was tragically killed in the last two weeks of World War two and the estate passed to his younger brother Sir John who in 1962 decided to vacate Coombe Lodge and move back to Langford Court.

Coombe Lodge is now let to a successful Events Business. Sir John died in 1998 and his eldest son Sir David inherited the Estate and lives at Langford Court with his wife Paula.

The Estate is run along traditional lines with farms, cottages and commercial lets alongside an in hand farm of Pedigree Ruby Red Devon cattle and Arable. A thousand acres of open land is in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme where Exmoor Ponies, Ruby Red Devon Cattle and Kashmir Goats roam freely to graze, enhance and improve the biodiversity of the Heathland and Limestone Grassland.