We have traced back ownership of the Leys Field, through documented evidence, back to 1909 when it was part of the Compton Verney Estate.
| Date | Owner | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 2013 | Combroke Parish Council | Grant awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with substantial contributions from residents to keep for the village as a Local Wildlife Site |
| 27 February 2012 | Combrook Leys Trust | Trust formed to buy field from Clive Barnes whilst funds were raised for Parish Council to purchase |
| 17 December 1971 | Clive Barnes | |
| 10 April 1952 | Cecily Violet Gaskell | Now separated from Green Farm. Recorded as a note in Green Farm conveyance records |
| 17 November 1949 | Dennis Lean | Included as part of Green Farm |
| 11 October 1949 | Arthur Timms | Included as part of Green Farm |
| 30 April 1934 | The Master & Fellows of Peterhouse in the University of Cambridge | |
| 18 January 1930 | George Henry Morgan with Arthur Lewis Adkinson | Sale by executors of Baron Manton's will, part of Green Farm |
| 30 November 1921 | Joseph Watson (Baron Manton of Compton Verney) | Part of Green Farm |
| 02 April 1909 | Reconveyance - same trust, same lands | Part of Green Farm |
Prior to 1909 ownership becomes less clear. We know that Combrook was part of the Little Kineton, Brookhampton and Combrook Estate bought by Lord Willoughby de Brook (Compton Verney) around 1825.
We do not know when the Leys Field became part of that Little Kineton and Brookhampton estate but from the evidence of a 1734 map it looks like the Leys was in "Combrooke Field" which was described as being part of that estate in the 1772 Inclosure Act."
The challenge is that the Leys Field was almost certainly "Common Land" adjacent to, rather than within a larger estate prior to 1772, and that formal ownership only became clear after the Inclosure Act. Many larger estates were built up and consolidated after the Inclosure
| Date | Owner | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1825 | Lord Willoughby de Broke | Purchased the Manor of Little Kineton, Brookhampton and Combrook |
| 1804 | Mrs Dormer and Elizabeth Bishop | Richard Hill died in 1804, estate inherited by his daughter and grand daughter |
| 1786 | Richard Hill | Owner of the Manor of Little Kineton, Brookhampton and Combrook |
| 1772 | Jaine Paine holds the Leys | County Records Inclosure Reconstruction Map suggest the Leys Field as under Jane Paine as a result of the Inclosure Act |
| Pre 1772 | The Leys is Common Land in the Bentley Gordon Estate | Reference in Inclosure Act |
| 1740 | Edward Bentley | Lord of the Manor |
| 1726 | Charles Bentley | Lord of the Manor (a descendant of Ambrose Holbeac) |
| 1677 | Ambrose Holbeach | The Manor of Brookhampton and Combrook was bought by Ambrose Holbech |
| 1233 | Henry deTrublevill | Henry de Trublevill (d 1239) had livery (legal transfer) of his lands in Combrook and Brookhampton in 1233 |
We have found a number of other references to Combrook between 1200 and 1600, that need to be further investigated.