Development of the Croft estate from the 14th century to present.
David Lovelace May 2010
1304. Hugh Croft complains to the Leominster assizes that several tenants of his powerful neighbour Roger Mortimer have felled growing trees in 12 acres of his wood in Croft in which they have grazing rights. TNA JUST1/1331
1318. Inquisition Post Mortem following the death Hugh Croft refers to the settlement as the “hamlet of Croft” which included the main house worth 7d per year, two carucates of land (c200 acres) valued at £4 per year, 40 acres of woodland “from which there is no profit without it being destroyed”, 4 acres of meadow worth 4s and the proceeds of the local court 30s a year. If a park or castle (even one in ruins) existed at this time it would have being mentioned. TNA C134/57/19
1505. Sir Edward Croft, sheriff of Hereford, is described as “of Croft Castle” of which Leland in c1540 wrote was ‘ditched and walled castle-like’ implying a status house rather then a real castle. His son Richard had over 4000 acres of land in 16 Herefordshire manors when he died in 1562. Richard’s son Sir James Croft was MP for Herefordshire and Privy Councillor but the Croft home farm was modest judging by the inventory of his chattels at his death: 48 cattle, 120 sheep and 56 pigs and £30 worth of grain. [1591] E178/7084
1517 Accounts for Gatley Park submitted to the crown by Sir Edward Croft (1466 - 1546) refer to a number of woods within the park including “Lyneham valet” and “Byrchin valet” indicating that the southern boundary of Gatley Park included present day Croft Estate’s Lyngham Vallet and Bircher Coppice. Gatley Park was crown land at this time with Sir Edward as keeper and accountant. It was later acquired freehold by the Croft family. ‘Vallet’ means coppice. SC6/HENVIII/1410. 9 Henry VIII [1517]
c1568 Croft vs Gresman 1558 – 1579 Court of Chancery pleadings whereby Sir James Croft knight (1518-1590) takes action against two yeomen for felling “all manner of wood and underwood” in his “lands, tenements and wood commonly the Old Park lying in the parish of Croft”. The yeomen claimed they had an agreement with Richard Croft (as above and James father) to fell 20 oak trees growing upon a pasture “adjoining ground or wood commonly called the Old Park”. TNA C3/36/85. Since it appears that there was no medieval park at Croft (see IPM above) this ‘old park’ may refer to land formerly within Gatley park as indicated by SC6/HENVIII/1410 above.
1586. William Camden’s Britannia, English translation edition by Edmund Gibson 1722 “More to the south [from Richards Castle] is Castle Park wherein is a large Camp, with two great ditches, call’d the Ambry: from it is a lovely respect [sic]”
1614 from “A copy of Sir Herbert Croft note of his conveyances HRO F76/III/173”
“An indenture between me and Sir James Scudamore.. I grant to them for 60 years my house of Croft with appurtenances and all the demesne land of the manor of Crofte with appurtenances excepting my new park and all my timber trees and in like sort the house and demesne land of Luston and Gatley Park situate lying and being in Aymestrey, great timber trees growing in and upon the said park and demesne only excepted..” This is the first known reference to Croft park.
1614 “Attorney-General v. Sir Herbert Croft” Crown case which includes a brief survey of some woods on the Croft estate including “Woodland called Lynham Vallett and Birchin Vallett alias Bird Vallett.” This latter is almost certainly Bircher Coppice which FC have reclassified as secondary. TNA E134/12Jas1/Hil21
1645. Herbert Croft, royalist bishop of Hereford, inherits Croft after his brother is killed in the battle of Stokesay. Croft ‘castle’ is apparently destroyed during the Civil War but rebuilt following restoration of Charles II with the resulting resurgent fortunes of the Croft family. In 1676 his son inherits “all that Castle Manor and Park of Croft”. The chestnut avenue and some oaks are considered to date from this era.
1716 An indenture from Sir Herbert Croft refers to “all that park or parcel of land near adjoining to said castle” and names the following woods “Birchey coppice”, “Oaken coppice”, “Lynnen Coppice” and “Lucton Vallett”.
1754 Taylor’s map of Herefordshire shows Croft Park encompassing both the Ambrey and Croft ‘castle’.
c1765 - 1798. Earliest known plan of the Croft estate. Work on the ‘castle’ and Fishpool valley. At this time Croft is considered to have had 420 acres of ‘rough wood pasture’.
1797, January. Advertisement in the Hereford Journal of the sale of “a large quantity of remarkable fine oak and other timber, now growing, consisting of about 4,000 oaks, a considerable part of immense size... in the woods, park, farms and lands at Croft Castle”.
1799. Croft estate acquired by Somerset Davies II who embarks on a re-design of parts of the estate, including the conversion of some of the wood pasture to woodland and plantation, although the above 18th century plan remains fairly similar to the 1840 tithe map.
1799 map of the parishes of Luston and Bircher delineating “Oaken Coppice” and “Birchen Coppice” much as they are now, also delineates “High Wood Bank” between the fishpools and Bircher Common.
1805. Brayley and Britton, The Beauties of England and Wales, Vol VI p559
“An extensive Park ranges on an eminence to the North from Croft, the north-western part of which is a British Camp, with a double ditch and rampart, called Croft Ambrey: the prospect from this site is very extensive and grand.”
1808. Williams, J. The Leominster Guide
‘Croft, Shodbon, Hampton and Brampton Bryan are famous for their large and majestic oak trees which exceed in dimension those that grow in any part of the kingdom”.
1818 Sale details of the Croft farm show it had 900 sheep, 50 cattle, 18 horses and 30 pigs.
1858-1859. Kevill-Davies papers [HRO 098LC/5479]. Accounts of coppice, oak, ash and other standards at Lynham valet, Birches wood, School wood, Lucton valet etc.
1867. A Handbook for Travellers in Gloucestershire Worcestershire and Herefordshire p154. (John Murray pub.) “In the park is an encampment with a double ditch and rampart, the prospect from which is extensive and grand, comprehending in its circuit 13 counties… The park contains trees of remarkable size..”
1925 FC is granted a lease of 192 hectares of the Croft Estate for 198 years (i.e. to 2123). Lyngham Vallet felled as well as the whole area between School Wood to the west, Croft Ambrey to the north and the edge of Bircher Common to the east was planted up with conifers, most of the old oaks were subsequently ring barked and killed. The woodland on the north-west flank above the Lugg valley similarly leased, felled and coniferized.
1952. Massingham H.J. The Southern Marches, Hale 1952. Massingham was the first to publicly express his opposition to the Commission’s management of Croft. In his book he wrote (page 244) “Before planting its beggarly spruces … it had ring barked these massive oaks, so that one by one they had died as they stood, surrounded by this ragged regiment of coniferous conscripts that had supplanted them….” He concluded of Croft (page 245): “There could hardly have been a more telling example not merely of the wastefulness and ecological ignorance of covering this highland of hardwoods with mean spruces but of the more general policy of imposing a purely industrial will upon our heritage of natural resources.”.
1957. National Trust acquires Croft Estate including the area managed by FC. Under a listing of “Estimate of annual income” the income from the FC lease is £60 which works out at 31p per hectare per year (!) for the 192 leased hectares. It is believed that the leasehold rent was not indexed linked so this may also be the present payment (NT to confirm this?). In other words FC are renting the Croft Estate essentially for free. Annexe 1 to the Reports Committee agenda 42/57. Report by Colin Jones 1st February 1957 reference HJFS/PL/364/C
1985. Broadleaves Policy becomes part of national Forestry policy recognising the importance of ancient woodlands and plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS).
1989. Fretwell, K.A. Croft Castle Park: Management for Restoration Discussion Paper.
First in-depth study of the park and its history. Includes the recommendation: The report
“Ideally the whole of the conifer woodland would eventually be removed, making a return to the open expanse of pasture woodland.” P5. Estimates the extent of Croft Park to be similar to that depicted by Taylor’s county map of 1754.
1995. FC issues a draft Forest Design Plan for Croft.
“It is disappointing to note the Forest Design Plan largely maintains the status quo of the area as a block of conifer dominated woodland.” English Nature conservation officer Helen Stace to Mr. Rogers of Forest Enterprise Marches District (9/2/1995). On 9/3/1995 there is a meeting at Croft with National Trust, English Nature, Council for Protection of Rural England, Diana Uhlman (daughter of Major Croft) and HWCC who all opposed the plan. Ian Hickman of FC defends the plan. Hereford Times carries an article in which CPRE and Diana Uhlman appeal to the commission to start restoring the estate and not to plant an imminent clear fell with conifers. This is ignored and the plan is approved by FC almost unchanged.
1998. Nichols, A. Butterfly Conservation. Croft Estate/Bircher Common.
Recommendations for the enhancement of the lepidoptorous interest, especially the High Brown Fritillary, include “The phased reduction of the conifers in the woodland on the Croft Estate.”
2001. After felling 20 hectares of mature conifers on the NW flank of Croft estate, FC plant 17 hectares of it with Douglas Fir despite much natural regeneration, surviving woodland flora and the only remaining fragment of semi-natural Lime on the whole estate.
2003. English Nature’s local team puts the case to extend Fishpool Valley SSSI to include most of the FC plantations between the Ambrey and the open grassland north of the castle. This pSSSI (potential SSSI) is currently deferred for future consideration. However EN states in its submission that “The future survival of the interests at this site would be enhanced by consolidation of the various elements of the site. Ideally this would involve reversion of the conifer plantations, secondary woodland and arable within the bounds of the area to wood pasture, including the reintroduction of grazing”. p21.
2004. Owen, N of the Debois Landscape Survey Group. Croft Castle: Historic Landscape Survey, commissioned by the National Trust. The most recent and detailed review and survey with recommendations for the whole estate including that managed by FC.
“Forestry; This is the area where most conflicts occur and where the greatest loss to the historic landscape has occurred: inappropriate species, loss of open ground, loss of views, destruction of pollards, damage to earthworks from forestry operations, FC plantations are a major factor in the shortage of water supplying Fishpool Valley pools, pollution of the pools due to run-off from forestry tracks and silting up of pools…The lease to Forestry Commission has taken important areas of he historic landscape out of the Trust’s control and resulted in what amounts to divided ownership.” Historic Landscape Survey: p vii.
And “These plantations now completely block all views between the castle, and the landscape around the castle, and Croft Ambrey.”
“Forestry plantations are nearing commercial maturity bringing the possibility of radical change (and improvement) to the landscape to the north of the castle.” Chapter 1, p8.
“A particular issue concerns the management and future of the conifer plantations in Croft Wood and the veterans trees that remain there… In the longer term the possibility of conversion back to wood pasture needs to be considered. Lyngham Vallet should be considered for restoration to native woodland.” Natural History & Hydrology: 6.1 p21.
“Restore parkland and wood pasture in areas that have been converted to continuous woodland. This applies particularly to the Forestry Commission plantations..” 6.2 p25.
“seek to terminate the FC lease .. begin the process of conversion to wood-pasture and native woodland..” 6.3 p26.
2004. Croft is ranked second in importance after Moccas in the county for indicator beetle species and fifth for West Midlands region. “Revision of the Index of Ecological Continuity as used for saproxylic beetles.” English Nature Research Report 574 by Keith Alexander.
2005. Jim Knight, Parliamentary Under-Secretary Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs unveils a new forestry policy that
“ancient woodland, veteran trees and other native woodland is adequately protected, sustainably managed in a wider landscape context, and is providing a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits to society…..This policy represents a significant change in emphasis for forestry activities in England by placing native and ancient woodland at the heart of forestry policy. The policy will make a significant contribution to several Government targets and policies, in particular the Government's biodiversity strategy for England, and will also help fulfil international commitments and statutory obligations. The Forestry Commission will work in close alignment with Natural England partners to ensure effective and coherent delivery of the policy.” Hansard 29 June 2005. FC launches “Keepers in Time” policy to enact this commitment including a ban on all conifer planting in FC managed woods deemed to be ancient including PAWS.
2008. Herefordshire Biodiversity Action Plan target for ‘woodpasture and parkland’ is for 750 hectares to be in good condition and for an extension of the area of the habitat of 150 hectares by 2015.
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