Places Stories

One look at our panoramic photos of Croft Castle and its grounds (see the links in the box above) will convince you that it is well worth visiting.

The castle itself has a long history - it was yet another Norman stronghold, built to control the volatile Marches area, on the border between Herefordshire and Wales.

Originally it was a fairly basic earth and timber structure, but in the early years of the 15th century this was replaced by a more formidable stone castle.

The Castle and stables

The Croft family, from whom the castle gets its name, are bound into the history of the area; Sir Richard Croft marched off at the head of his troops to fight in the battle of Mortimer's Cross, which took place a few miles away, in 1461; his descendent, also Sir Richard, fought for the King at the battle of Stokesay castle, in the English Civil War.

The victorious Parliamentary forces took their revenge on the castle, and it wasn't until the 17th century that it was restored.

After the Croft family sold the castle, it was restored in the gothic style by its new owners.

The Croft's then bought back their ancestral home in the 1920's, and the estate is now looked after by the National Trust.

The estate has one of Herefordshire's finest restored walled gardens and vineyards.

The castle is well signposted from the A49, Leominster to Ludlow road, and from A4110 at Mortimer's Cross.