Ancient trees walk… 3½ miles
Croft Castle parkland, Herefordshire
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks
Explore the ancient parkland of Croft Castle - a place of history, tranquillity,
sweeping views and veteran trees.
Admire the
wonderfully diverse
and architectural
veteran trees of
Croft’s unique triple
chestnut avenue.
Start: Entrance folly archway
Grid ref: SO447658 Map: OS Landranger 203
Getting here & local facilities
By bus: Lugg Valley 492, Ludlow to Hereford (passing close to Ludlow and
Hereford train station), alight at Gorbett bank, 2¼ miles
By train: Leominster 7 miles
By car: 5 miles north-west of Leominster, 9 miles south west of Ludlow; approach
from B4362, turning north at Cock Gate between Bircher and Mortimers Cross:
sign-posted from Ludlow to Leominster road (A49) and from the A4110 at
Mortimers Cross. SatNav: HR6 0BL
© National Trust/Jason Wood
Please note: part of the walk can only be accessed when the property is open.
Admission charge to grounds and gardens: £4.20 adult, £3.15 child. Parking is
available 100 metres from the property. Information centre, tea rooms, large play
area, stable yard shop, picnic area, large car park, toilets and disabled access (to the
main site).
Known as the ‘Quarry Oak’,
this ancient sessile oak is
situated on the edge of the
quarry where stone was once
used to build parts of Croft
Castle itself. The sessile oak is
so-named because its acorns
are not carried on stalks
(peduncles) but directly on the
outer twigs (sessile).
Look out for…
t ‘Quarry oak’: This 1,000-year-old sessile oak started its life long before the first
Croft Castle was built, and as such it has seen many historical events. Ancient
trees like this are a wonderful habitat and highly valued for their biodiversity, with
invertebrate species numbering in their thousands.
© National Trust/Jason Wood
t Triple avenue of sweet chestnuts: The story goes that the planting scheme of
these 350 to 400-year-old sweet chestnuts stems from James Croft bringing home
salvaged nuts from a ship, wrecked in the Spanish Armada defeat of 1588. After
decades of storage they were then planted to resemble the attacking formations of
the Spanish ships, commemorating the English victory.
Enjoy inspirational
views of the Welsh
Marches landscape
as you explore
Croft’s parkland.
t Ancient oaks: These 400-year-old oaks, reputedly planted at the same time as the
chestnuts, are said to mimic the formation of the small English fighting fleet from
the time of the Armada. The aged and gnarled structures of all these trees form
one of nature’s everlasting monuments.
t Panoramic view: Rest on the benches and admire the panoramic views of four
counties and the beautiful Welsh Black Mountains.
© National Trust/Jason Wood
Walk distance, terrain and accessibility: Allow about 2 hours for this 3½ mile (5km) circular walk. Fairly easy terrain, with slight inclines and descents, following
grass footpaths and farm tracks. Dogs must be kept on leads at all times as livestock graze in the area. Please note: part of the walk can only be accessed when
the property is open.
Directions
1. Starting from the visitor car park, walk towards the castle and pass through the archway. Follow the tarmac road to the front of the castle.
2. Walk on to the black wrought iron gate with the church on your left and castle on your right. Pass through the gate and immediately turn left and walk
along the mown pathway.
3. Continue on the mown pathway until you come to a post with a red shield (4). Stop here and ahead of you, slightly to the left (11 o’clock position), you
will see the ‘quarry oak’.
4. Ignore the path to the right which will take you back to the castle, and instead take the left path. Walk onwards to a large field gate and a pedestrian
gate. Go through the pedestrian gate and head to the post shield (5), which is about 20 yards away.
5. Walk in the same direction, parallel to the line of ancient sweet chestnut trees on your left. Continue for 200 yards to reach a farm track which
crosses from left to right. The line of trees is the start of the triple avenue of sweet chestnuts. At the farm track, turn right and follow it as you pass
under an avenue of lime trees. Continue along the track as it bends gently to the right.
6. You will now come to a metal gate. Climb over the stile, and if you look to your left you will see three visible rows of ancient sweet chestnut trees.
There is also a fourth in the woodland.
7. Continue along the track for several hundred yards to another gate and climb over the stile. With farm buildings on your right, proceed to another gate
and cross over that stile. After this last gate and stile you will be at a crossing point. Right will take you to the tea-rooms and straight on will take you to
the car park. Take the left turn up a farm track. This track will lead you uphill.
8. Cross over the stile to the left of the gate, and look to your left to see the rows of chestnuts. Care should be taken when leaving the stile as there are
exposed roots and large surface stone blocks. These will both become slippery when wet.
9. Bear left along the fence line and continue along to a kissing gate and farm gate. Continue to a second kissing gate and farm gate.
10. You will then enter the field of ancient oaks in a parkland setting. Walk diagonally across and up to the top corner of the field, to a metal gate.
11. Over the gate, turn sharp right and take the right fork along the field boundary. Continue to a wooden gate and cross over the stile. Walk on, but do
not take the next wooden gate 200 yards ahead, instead, walk slightly right around two seats.
12. Sit to admire the view.
13. Continue your walk to the large fallen trunk (10 yards to your left when sitting down) and then through the trees to a wooden gate, which is slightly
hidden. Follow the path with a steep valley on your left.
14. The path bends round to the right following the field boundary. Continue on to a wooden gate, where you will emerge into the field above the car park.
Walk across to an ancient large oak. From here you can make your way to the car park and tea-rooms.
‘A magnificent walk through historic scenery and noble trees, complemented
by awe-inspiring vistas’
Eric Dale – volunteer National Trust warden, Croft Castle
Contact us
Telephone: 01568 780141 (info line) or 01568 780246
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croftcastle
© Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey. All rights reserved.
OS licence no. AL 100023974
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