Icomb Place

Icomb Place (pronounced "Ickum") is a medieval manor house on the edge of the village of Icomb, near Stow on the Wold in Gloucestershire.

The word "Place" in this context is thought to be a precursor of the word "Palace".

Description

Mentioned in the Doomsday Book, the present house dates from three distinct periods. The oldest parts of the present house date from c. 1230 and include the chapel and solar (with barrel vaulted timber roof) and undercroft (northwest wing) and the southeast wing, originally the kitchens and servants quarters.

The front of the house, including the battlemented gateway and the Great Hall, both with massive oak timber roof supports, connecting the original 13th century buildings were added by Sir John Blacket (who fought alongside Henry V of England at the Battle of Agincourt), c. 1420. At this point the house had two courtyards.

After a period of dereliction during the 18th and 19th centuries the house was restored at the beginning of the 20th century and the rear wing and courtyard demolished. At the same time as the restoration, an arboretum was laid out in the grounds contains plants from around the globe.

The house is unusual in that right angles seem to have been avoided in its construction. The house is a Grade I listed building.

References

*Christopher Simon Sykes, "Ancient English Houses 1240-1612" (London: Chatto & Windus) 1988