Croft Castle

History

The Croft family held the estate from 1085, an unusually long tenure for an English landed family, though it slipped from their hands during the 18th century. They bought it back in 1923, and the last private owner bequeathed the castle and its grounds to the National Trust in 1957. The castle is Grade I listed, and the wider estate carries a separate Grade II* listing for its park and garden.

Architecture

The four round towers at each corner are thought to date from the 14th or 15th century, though the house was substantially remodelled in the 18th century in a Gothick style, giving the interior a lighter, more domestic character than the exterior suggests.

Worth knowing

The nearby Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461, a key Wars of the Roses engagement, is traditionally linked to the Croft family, who held land and influence in the area at the time.

Gardens & grounds

The estate's parkland is known for its veteran oaks and a long avenue of ancient sweet chestnut trees, among the most notable of their kind in the country.