 His son, Wellington Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere, did some further work on the house in the 1870s, but the family's fortunes declined in the later 19th century.The second Viscount twice rented the abbey to the Empress Elisabeth of Austria in 1881 and 1882.A total of £10,000-worth of alterations were made for her stays, including installing hot water and an electric bell system; the costs were met by the Emperor.