Another Trip to Herefordshire - Part 4: More from Croft Castle - The Walled Garden and Castle Interior

 

On the Saturday afternoon after we had looked around the Ghost Tree Exhibition we wandered into the 3.5 acre walled garden which was restored in the 1950's.  The restoration was due to Diana Uhlman, her daughter Caroline Compton, the gardener and volunteers.  Diana wanted to reflect the "Picturesque" Movement.

The Owain Glyndwr Connection

Owain Glyndwr's daughter married Sir John Croft in the 1390's so the Croft family were caught up in Glyndwr's 1400 Welsh revolt against the reign of King Henry IV of England.

Following Owain Glyndwr's final defeat he evaded capture and was last seen in 1412.  It has been suggested the prince moved between Monnington Straddle at Vowchurch and Croft Castle during his final days.  He may have died at Croft Castle. In 1920 the base of the turret room in the SE tower was excavated and there is speculaton that the tall skeleton found there was that of Owain Glyndwr.

However it has to be said that I have also heard that he was buried in a mound at Monnington Straddle and a Welsh historian has suggested he is buried in the chapel at Kimbolton church (based on evidence from manuscripts in the National Archives).

Wyvern and lion (the latter emblematic of the Croft's family coat of arms) standing guard at the main door to the castle.

I left B sitting on a bench and had a quick look round the interior rooms that are open to the public. Despite having been to Croft Castle many times in recent years this is actually the first time I have ventured into it!

There are 6 rooms downstairs and one upstairs that you can see although I didn't bother with the latter. It was a really quick whizz round the rooms as I also wanted to revisit the church and it wasn't fair to leave B sitting on a bench for too long.

Principal Salon

The Blue Room

Ghosts

There are reports of two ghosts appearing from time to time at Croft Castle. Firstly, a tall ghostly man dressed in leather who could be Owain Glyndwr who had a connection with the castle (see above).

Secondly, sightings of the benign ghost of Sir James Croft who built today's castle. The ghost can be seen when building work is in progress. He appears for a few seconds as if inspecting the changes and then fades away.

There are already far too many photos in this blog post! so I will write about my visit to St Michael and All Angels in a separate post.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference:

National Trust Guide Book to Croft Castle

"Haunted Herefordshire" by Rupert Matthew, Logaston Press, 2008.

Kenilworth Castle

 

Recently B wanted his usual lift to a pub at Balsall Common to meet friends for lunch so while he was there D and I visited nearby Kenilworth Castle.

History of the Castle 

(if you've read my previous posts on Kenilworth Castle I would skip this bit!)

• The first castle at Kenilworth was built in the 1120's by Geoffrey de Clinton (the Royal Chamberlain) who had been given the land by Henry I.  He built the Great Tower (Norman Keep) and also founded Kenilworth Priory.
• In the early C13th King John added an outer circuit wall and built a dam to retain a large lake.  The castle was now strongly defended and withstood a siege in 1266.
• John of Gaunt, son of Edward III, built the Great Hall and its apartments.
• C15th Lancastrian kings visited to hunt and Henry V built a retreat at the end of the lake called "The Pleasance in the Marsh".
• In 1563 Queen Elizabeth I gave the castle to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. He turned the castle into a palace fit to entertain her building apartments and a privy garden for her use.
• After the Civil War fortifications were removed and in 1650 Leicester's Gatehouse was turned into a residence by Colonel Hawkesworth, a Parliamentarian Officer.
• In 1958 Lord Kenilworth gave the castle to the people of Kenilworth and it has been managed by English Heritage since 1984.

You approach the castle walking through an area that was once the jousting ground where  tournaments were held in.

Mortimer's Tower - built by King John around 1210 . It may later have taken its name from Roger Mortimer, one of the Marcher lords, who held a tournament at the castle in 1282.

The Great Tower or Norman Keep

Queen Elizabeth I's apartments

Dudley's Gatehouse built by Robert Dudley in 1571/2.

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First of all we had a look round the Elizabethan Garden.

The Queen's Privy Garden was a private garden created for Elizabeth I by Robert Dudley in 1575.  The garden was recreated by English Heritage in 2009.  The design was based on descriptions by Robert Langham in the C16th who had sneaked into the gardens.  Archaelogical surveys and historical research were also used to help plan the garden.

The fountain is the centre piece of the garden.  The new fountain, like the original, is made of white Italian Carrara marble. Two Athlants (Atlas figures) support a sphere that discharges jets of water.

Lunn's Tower

It was the Easter School holidays so busier than I would have liked! but we had lunch in the Stables.  Cheese and onion toasties followed by two cakes that we shared.

After lunch we continued to walk around the castle.

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It was unbelievably windy so while D went to the top of one of the towers and took the following photos I sat on a wall in a sheltered spot!

Part of the Great Hall

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Looking over the area that would once have been a lake.

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We bought a few items from the shop and then just had time to visit a local farm shop before picking up B.

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Photos taken by D and I with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference:

English Heritage website and guidebook to Kenilworth Castle