CROFT CASTLE

Herefordshire

Despite appearances, Croft Castle is as genuine a Castle as you could wish for. A Castle seems to have been built here by the Croft family sometime around the period of the Domesday Book, although only few mentions of it exist in historical records.

The Croft family were represented in Parliament (generally as Sheriff of Herefordshire) from 1296 until 1727 and as such they could afford to continuously rebuild their Castle in the latest style. The layout very much matches the great quadrangular Castles of the 1400s.

The history of Croft Castle has few of the high points of many.  In the Civil War the Castle was plundered by Irish "levies" (navvies) to whom the Royalist occupiers owed money, and was then slighted not after any great siege, but rather by Royalists to prevent any siege taking place (a kind of cutting off your nose to spite your face attitude the Royalists often displayed).  This slighting included removal of the gatehouse which probably stood where the entrance constructed circa 1750 now stands.

The Croft family still live at the Castle, although it owned today by the National Trust and is open during the summer.

Back to Castles of Herefordshire Page

© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2018