This visit was our exchange visit from when the very talented Katherine and Hugh (who manage the massive grounds at Croome Park) came for a bus-mans holiday and did a days volunteering with us last month down at Coopers Mill, Wyre Forest.
Croome was owned in the 18th century by the 6th Earl of Coventry, who commissioned the then relatively unknown Lancelot Brown, (later know as Capability Brown) to develop the magnificent park and landscape surrounding the 'big house'. Brown, along with Robert Adam were also engaged to develop the property itself.
Hugh and Katherine took us around the grounds surrounding Croome Court. The landscape is vast and varied and has something to please everyone including the fantastic walks along the 'faux' river (said to be a scale version of the River Severn). This 'river' was completely man made and of Brown's design and took some ten years to dig out and create! Fancy that as a job! But those ten years were certainly well spent as the resulting twists and turns of the 'river' with its lakes and bridges and numerous surprises around every turn, will have you interested from start to finish as they did us.
Katherine and Hugh showed us the many tree and plant varieties that were still in existence from back in the day as well as the species planted since it's restoration by the dedicated team of Croome staff and volunteers, to bring the parkland back to how it would have been originally. It was interesting to see Ginkgo trees as well as varieties of oaks and also privet, which when allowed to grow naturally produces delicate white flowers with a beautiful fragrance.
We followed the river round and came to the house itself which is steeped with layers of history, not just from the Earl's days in the 18th century but also it's varied and colourful uses over the subsequent decades. I won't say any more because you really HAVE TO go and see it for yourself to fully appreciate what the house offers.
I cannot recommend it highly enough and hope that we have many more visits to Croome still to come. Next time though, we'll be rolling up our sleeves and helping out with the list of never-ending jobs and projects that Hugh and Katherine and the volunteers undertake to ensure Croome is enjoyed by everyone both now and in the future. Here is a link to get details of where they are:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome/
A massive thank you to Katherine and Hugh from us all at the WWP for a wonderful day at Croome.
