Herefordshire - Part 1: Croft Castle Walled Garden

E was on holiday from work last week so we travelled to Herefordshire on Wednesday for a few days.

I had prebooked tickets for Croft Castle for Thursday and the weather was glorious. The National Trust has everything well arranged - a person from a kiosk comes to the car to check your name and membership cards when you arrive at the car park. There is a one way system through the garden and one in one out arrangement at the toilets. Hand sanitiser was available in the car park. Some of the gardens, play area, shop, castle interior and church were closed but there was still plenty to do.

I couldn't buy a guidebook so have ordered one online but it hasn't arrived yet so I only have a limited amount of information available on the castle.

Croft belonged to the Croft family from 1085. By the 13th and 14th centuries they had build a fortified manor house which was replaced by a 16th century brick castle which was larely replaced by the current Croft Castle in the 17th century. In 1746 it was bought by Richard Knight son of a Shropshire iron master. The Croft family re-purchased the estate in 1923 and put it in the care of the National Trust.


There are many walks and trails you can follow through the extensive parkland and you can walk to Croft Ambrey Iron Age Hill Fort which I am saving until I visit with D.

Even from the car park you can see some of the magnificent trees.

This plant was covered in bees

and there was a lovely display of cyclamen. Sorry photos are not of the best - B and E kept disappearing every time I stopped to take a photo and the brightness of the sun also seemed to bleach some of the photos out even though I kept adjusting settings.

The castle is quadrangular with corner towers and it is probably almost entirely 17th century although it looks older.

Entrance with lovely stone lion and wyvern.

A bench surrounded by ice plants - the flowers were covered in butterflies mainly Small Tortoiseshell but you guessed it B and E had zoomed ahead yet again and I just didn't have the time to stop and try and compose any photos.

Walled Garden

This part of the garden has been created on the site of a demolished servants' wing.

The walled garden covers nine acres and is managed sympathetically for wildlife and humans.

Old orchards are relatively common in Herefordshire but nationwide two thirds of orchards have been lost since the 1950's. Most of the apple trees at Croft were probably planted in the 1920's. There is a collection of 60 mature specimens of around 30 different cultivars. Old Herefordshire varieties include Brown Snout, Doctor Hare, Downton Pippin, Adam's Pearmaine and Herefordshire Beefing. Aren't the names wonderful?

After visiting the walled garden I had a look round the exterior of the church and then we did the 1.5 mile ancient tree trail which I will show you in the next post.

Blogger keeps reverting me to the new version which I am putting off using so every time I come on here I have to revert back! I am a bit hesitant about spending ages uploading too many photos in one go in case I lose the post. Usually I upload pictures and then add the text later or the next day but I've done the whole of this post and will publish as I am not sure what will happen to it if I leave it in draft form and am yet again given new blogger! Have written in a bit of a rush so please excuse any typing errors!



All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera