After looking round the Walled Garden at Croft Castle we decided to walk again the 1.5 mile Ancient Tree Trail.
Looking back towards Croft Castle and St Michael and All Angels.
Then down to the pool and
along the path to a grove of old Sweet Chestnuts.
Unfortunately I forgot to look for the Quarry Oak - one of the oldest trees at Croft being around 1000 years old. Last year I struggled to find it.
An avenue of 400-500 year old and more recently planted Chestnut Trees.
And then onto my favourite part of the walk the Spanish Chestnut Avenue which was originally the formal approach to the castle. A story suggests that the Sweet Chestnuts were taken from captured Spanish vessels and planted at Croft between 1580 and 1680 to represent the battle plan of ships at the Armada.
Some of the Chestnuts have died from "Ink Disease".
Leaving the Chestnut Avenue you enter a grove of very old hawthorns. They were planted as though they were in an orchard and one idea suggests that they were rootstock plants for a medlar tree orchard and when the medlar trees died the hawthorn rootstock took over.
The walk back to the castle takes you by the more recently planted chestnut trees.
This 500 year old oak tree was named after Sir William Croft who supposedly died under this tree after being wounded in the Civil War.
Should anyone visit Croft, thinking particularly of Bovey Belle, I can really recommend this walk.
The next and final Herefordshire post from the last trip will include a quick interior visit to St Michael and All Angels and a few flower photos from the caravan site.
Take care and stay safe and well everyone.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.
Reference: National Trust Ancient Tree Trail leaflet.
10 comments:
A lovely walk to round off your visit indeed. I wonder, are the Sweet Chestnuts a sustainable harvest, or purely ornamental? We have one growing nearby, but the nuts never reach viable size.
Rustic Pumpkin - thanks so much. I suspect ornamental but I don't know for sure. I know an ancient sweet chestnut in Solihull produces very small chestnuts.
Ah, RR, a favourite haunt from our days in South Wales, as I believe you know! What a fascinating tale linked to the the Sweet Chestnuts.
Caroline Gill - Thanks so much. Yes I remember you saying you visited from South Wales. It really is a lovely place. OH usually not keen on NT places but he likes Croft!
Interesting about the hawthorn trees in what might have been a medlar orchard. What history all these wonderful old trees have seen. It looks like a super walk:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. The Ancient Tree Trail leaflet had some interesting snippets of info :)
Thanks for the heads up on Croft Castle and environs RR. Yes, would love to visit here. I might be doing the walk on my own though as OH not as mobile as he used to be since the long course of Steroids. (That said he can push himself when it's the big Fleamarket at Malvern).
Interesting snippets of history, especially the Hawthorns being the grafting stock of Medlars until they reverted.
Bovey Belle - Thanks so much. I hope you can visit. The Ancient Tree Trail isn't too hilly - the rest of the walks seem be! Castle and walled garden not far from car park and toilets and cafe near too.
I love the walks around the grounds. On my recent visit I was with my 88 year old mum so we couldn't venture that far.
CherryPie - Thank you. They have some super walking trails there but as you say I would imagine many difficult for your mum.
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