Croft Castle

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Croft Castle - Croft Ambrey, Herefordshire (NT)

The area around Croft Castle has been occupied for over two thousand years - there was an iron-age hill fort on the ridge to the north of the existing building- and the Croft family have lived here since before the Norman invasion. It is thought that the Norman family de Croft came over during the time of Edward the Confessor, and by the time of Domesday, a Bernard de Croft held the land. The de Crofts have a distinguished history; in 1103, Bernard de Croft endowed the Cluniac monastery at Thetford in Norfolk, and became a monk there and in 1100 Jasper de Croft fought in the Crusades and was knighted. In the thirteenth century, the Lord of Croft helped the captured Prince of Wales, later Edward I, to escape to Croft. John de Croft married a daughter of Owen Glendower and the battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 was fought on Croft land. When Henry Tudor came to the English throne, men from Wales and the Border Marches found favour at court and Sir Richard Croft became Treasurer of King Henry VII's household and later steward to his first son, Prince Arthur. During the Civil War, the Crofts fought for the King, and Croft Castle is known to have been dismantled by the Royalists to prevent its use by the Parliamentarians. The property and estate eventually left Croft hands in 1746, sold to Richard Knight of Downton to repay debts. It returned to the Crofts in 1923 when it was bought back by the Trustees of Sir James Croft. He was killed in action with the Commandos in 1941. Although now run by the National Trust, members of the Croft family still live in the castle and on the estate, thus continuing the ancient family association.

The plan of the castle is roughly square, with a tower at each corner. Although the appearance is much altered through successive repairs and alterations, the basic fabric probably dates from the fourteenth or fifteenth century. Each tower has sixteenth century windows, and the north west tower is in its original state. The central structure on the East Front we see today is eighteenth century, with a projecting bay on either side, punctuated with romantic gothick windows.The Fronts all differ considerably due to the refurbishment and alterations of successive owners, the last main phase as late as 1913.

The Hall was originally an open courtyard. The seventeenth century panelling now here was probably moved from another part of the house after the courtyard was roofed over in the mid eighteenth century. The Gothick staircase has been restored to its original colour, and the Georgian fashion revealed again in all its glory. There is Jacobean panelling in the Blue Room, and early Georgian panelling in the Drawing Room. The gothick scheme continues through much of the interior, from chairs to chair rails and the four pier-glasses in the Library Ante-Room.

The grounds at Croft are dominated by the trees, some avenues being 350 years old. There is a small church nearby dating from the fourteenth or fifteenth century. As with the house, fashions changed and improvements and alterations were made throughout its history. There is a splendid altar tomb of Sir Richard Croft (d.1509) and his wife Dame Eleanor, who had been Governess to the sons of Edward IV in Ludlow Castle. This was probably moved here to the Church of St Michael in the early nineteenth century, from the chapel on the north side of the castle which was destroyed at that time.