Despite former claims of the manor being named in
Domesday Book and dating to 11th century, this is not backed up by evidence, and a recent historic building report has concluded that the date of construction is most likely 15th/early 16th century, with various additions made over the centuries. The earliest record found is from May 1439, when Bishop Edmund Lacy (Bishop of Exeter 1420–55) issued a licence for domestic worship at the Manor. Whilst there is clearly a connection with the Champernon family, given the place name evidence, it is unlikely that they ever lived there, given the wide interests of the family, and their seats at
Clyst St George, Modbury and Dartington. Despite no documentary evidence, they may well have owned the property at the time of its construction. Through marriage, it is thought that the Manor passed to the Herles, and then through sale to the Bonnevilles, then through marriage, to the Greys. The earliest documented owners are the Georges, who sold the property to the Harper family in 1676. The Harper family arms are displayed in the plaster overmantel of one of the first floor bedrooms (formerly, and incorrectly, assigned in previous historical accounts, to
Lady Jane Grey). The property then passed to the Vye family in 1701, and the Gilbert family in 1883. There is then a gap in the records, until c1910 when it passed to the Stapleton/Loze/Goodman/Pincombe family, and then to the Haywards in 1972. The farm diversified to provide accommodation and refreshments for tourists and travellers from the early 20th century, and became a more established tourist attraction, with a museum, in the mid 20th century. With the creation of a tourist attraction, there grew over the years various stories of smugglers, wreckers, secret underground tunnels, skeletons in sealed off rooms and buried beneath floors, ships' timbers, priest's holes, royal residency, and paranormal activity. None of these stories are founded in fact; Chambercombe Manor has a perfectly good history of its own, without such embellishments, both in terms of its architecture and ownerships/tenancies. It is the most beautiful estate, set in stunning grounds. Hayward transferred ownership to the Chambercombe Trust in 1979, remaining an active trustee until the 1990s. The Trust (registered charity number 278794). managed Chambercombe Manor and its grounds as a tourist destination until its sale in late 2023 to private owners. In its annual return to the Charity Commission for
England and Wales on 29 January 2023, the Trust announced its decision to sell the property. In its submission to the Charity Commission for England and Wales in January 2024, the Trust reported: “Over the last few years it has become difficult to finance Chambercombe due to the construction of the building, costs of maintenance and compliance with regulations. We therefore had no option but to sell the property, which was a complex process that was completed in December 2023”. With the completion of the sale, the manor and grounds returned to private ownership and was closed to the general public. == Plans for 2024 and beyond ==