The estate has had a chequered recent history... after WWII the Croome Estate Trust sold the house and 38 acres to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham. From 1979 to 84 it was leased to the Hare Krishna movement eventually it was purchased by the Croome House trust in 2007 and is now leased to the National Trust (the Trust owns the park). There is a walled garden which I never got to today.
The House was stripped of most of its contents.
The park was designed by Lancelot Capability Brown. Since I first visited the whole estate has much improved/restored!
You will notice that the visitors centre is unusual, in 1941 part of the park was transformed into RAF Defford and the visitors centre is the old RAF Medical buildings. Defford was used to test radar and Defford was the place the first automated landing took place.
This is clever it was designed by Bouke de Vries (yup that chap from Berrington Hall the other day)
This is George William.... a conservation bear!
I had never heard of Middle Littleton Tithebarn and from the road you'd be pushed to known it existed (very modest concealed sign) I knew it was there as they have a twitter account and they follow the duck!
It was built in either the 13th or 14th century. It was supposedly built in 1376 by Abbot Ombersley of Evesham Abbey but a radiocarbon date suggested 1250. Whatever this is a seriously impressive building.
The last stop was to the Fleece Public house which is owned by the National Trust. The building was bequeathed to the National Trust by Lola Taplin and at her request the medieval practice of chalking "witch circles" on the floor in front of each hearth to prevent witches from getting in through the chimneys.
1 comment:
Super photos - one day I will get round to visiting Croome! They Tythe Barn is very impressive :)
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