Croft Castle & Parkland
Croft Castle, Croft, near Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6
Croft Castle is a National Trust house near Leominster with a three-acre walled garden, a sweet chestnut avenue over 400 years old and the restored 18th-century Fishpool Valley.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Croft Castle & Parkland?
Croft Castle sits in about 1,500 acres of woodland, farmland and parkland in north Herefordshire, five miles north-west of Leominster. The house has been home to the Croft family on and off since around 1085, and the grounds hold some of the most impressive old trees in the region. Come for the walled garden, the ancient avenues and a valley of 18th-century water features, and plan to walk as much as you browse.
Start in the three-acre walled garden, then head out into the park past the Georgian stable block. The avenue of sweet chestnuts was planted more than four hundred years ago, and their twisted trunks are the image most people take home. Beech and oak line the main drive. The Fishpool Valley was laid out in the 18th century with a chain of descending ponds, a grotto, a Gothic pumphouse, an ice house and a lime kiln, and it has been restored to bring back its original scenic character. Further out, the parkland includes the Iron Age hill fort of Croft Ambrey, and the Mortimer Trail passes by.
Gardeners will find the walled garden the most practical part for ideas, while the Fishpool Valley shows how water, paths and small buildings were used to create a picturesque walk. Next to the castle, the medieval Church of St Michael has 17th-century box pews and a painted ceiling. Good footwear is worth it, as the valley and the hill fort routes are proper walks.
What to see
- The avenue of sweet chestnut trees, planted more than four hundred years ago.
- The three-acre walled garden.
- The Fishpool Valley, with descending ponds, a grotto, a Gothic pumphouse and an ice house.
- Croft Ambrey, an Iron Age hill fort in the parkland.
- The Church of St Michael beside the castle, with 17th-century box pews.
Croft Castle & Parkland through the year
- spring
- Fresh growth in the walled garden and new leaf on the beech and oak along the drive make spring a lovely time for a walk.
- summer
- The walled garden is at its fullest, and the parkland is good for longer walks up to Croft Ambrey.
- autumn
- The old sweet chestnut avenue and the woods around the Fishpool Valley are at their best as the leaves turn.
- winter
- Bare trees show off the shapes of the ancient chestnuts; check the National Trust site for winter opening of the house and garden.
The story behind the garden
The Croft family established the estate around 1085, and Bernard de Croft appears in the Domesday Book. Money troubles after the South Sea Bubble forced a sale in 1746 to Richard Knight, of the Bringewood ironworks family. In the 1760s his son-in-law Thomas Johnes remodelled the castle in Rococo-Gothic style to designs by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, and the Fishpool Valley was landscaped in the same century.
The estate was sold again in 1799 to Somerset Davies, whose descendants sold it back to Katherine, Lady Croft, in 1923. In 1957, with many great houses in the county being demolished, Diana Uhlman, born a Croft, led efforts to raise an endowment so the National Trust would accept it. The castle opened to the public in 1960, and family members still live there. The Fishpool Valley has since undergone major restoration.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Lovers of veteran trees and historic parkland, walkers, and gardeners curious about walled gardens and 18th-century water features.
- Getting there
- Croft Castle is in the parish of Croft and Yarpole, about five miles north-west of Leominster in north Herefordshire.
- Before you go
- Allow time for the Fishpool Valley and parkland as well as the house and walled garden. Check the National Trust website for current opening times and tickets.
Source: Wikipedia: Croft Castle
Questions about visiting Croft Castle & Parkland
Is Croft Castle National Trust?
Yes. Croft Castle was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1957 and opened to the public in 1960. Members of the Croft family still live in the house.
Where is Croft Castle?
Croft Castle is in Herefordshire, in the parish of Croft and Yarpole, about five miles north-west of Leominster. It is surrounded by around 1,500 acres of woodland, farmland and parkland.
How old are the sweet chestnut trees at Croft Castle?
The avenue of sweet chestnuts was planted more than four hundred years ago, which makes the trees among the most striking old trees on the estate. Beech and oak line the main drive.
What is the Fishpool Valley at Croft Castle?
It is a valley landscaped in the 18th century with a chain of descending ponds, a grotto, a Gothic pumphouse, an ice house and a lime kiln. It has been restored to bring back its original scenic look.
Is there a walled garden at Croft Castle?
Yes. The property has a three-acre walled garden, alongside a Georgian stable block elsewhere on the estate. It is the most practical part of the estate for gardeners looking for planting ideas.
Garden features
Location
Croft Castle, Croft, near Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6
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