A resume of the development of the Croft estate from the 14th century to present.
1304. Hugh Croft complains to the Leominster assizes that several tenants of his powerful
neighbour Roger Mortimer had 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
there as the “hamlet of Croft” which included the main house worth 7d per year, two
carucates of land (about 200 acres) valued at £4 per year, 40 acres of woodland “from
which there is no profit unless it is felled”, 4 acres of meadow worth 4s and the proceeds
of the local court 30s a year. TNA C134/57/19 [note absence of any mention of a castle]
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 fairly modest judging by the inventory of his
chattels at his death in 1591: 48 cattle, 120 sheep and 56 pigs and £30 worth of grain.
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]
1523 Complaint by Richard Croft that John Redyng sub-prior to Leominster Priory had
“despoiled and made waste in his woods” and had “sold trees to diverse persons in
Luctons wode”. Abstract of state papers Henry VIII quoted in “The House of Croft” by
OGS Croft 1949 page 51.
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. [Fields called ‘Old Park’ on Croft Tithe map
abut NW side of Tylers Vallet 1km south of Croft Castle so this may be an older but quite
different park from the present one.]
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 the present Croft park although the landscape was likely to
have been already quite heavily treed.]
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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.” TNA E134/12Jas1/Hil21 [This latter is probably Bircher Coppice].
1645. Herbert Croft, royalist bishop of Hereford, inherits Croft after his brother is killed
during the battle of Stokesay. In 1676 his son inherits “all that Castle Manor and Park of
Croft”. [Croft ‘castle’ is considered to have been damaged or destroyed during the Civil War but
rebuilt following restoration of Charles II and the resurgent fortunes of the Croft family. The
chestnut avenue and many of veteran 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”.
[This reference was to prove vital when the Forestry Commission tried to remove Oaker and
Bircher Coppice from the Herefordshire Ancient Woodland Inventory, see below]
1754 Taylor’s map of Herefordshire depicts Croft Park with a park pale encompassing the
Ambrey and continuous towards the vicinity of Croft castle. Taylor describes the area as
“Croft Ambrey and Park”. See map sequence.
c1765 - 1798. “A map of the Croft Castle Demesne”. This is the earliest known plan of the
Croft estate showing the Ambrey, Fishpool Valley and the present park as one parkland
entity with scattered tree symbols of 272 acres with a further 116 acres of scattered trees
west to Lucton Wood and 20 acres of pasture and wood just east of the castle. Map shows
the castle, fish pools, roads, fences and a lime kiln and distinguishes between park,
woodland, pasture and arable. At this time Croft is reckoned to have had 420 acres of
‘rough wood pasture’ which is consistent with the acreage of park and wood pasture on the
map (total 408 acres).
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”.
[It is not known how many were actually sold and felled but the advertisement gives a good idea
of just how well treed the estate was at this time.]
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. However much of the above 18th century plan remains fairly similar to the 1840
tithe map so the make over may have been restricted to the vicinity of the castle.
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. [This map also helped clarify the status of these woods].
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.” [From this description the park is
essentially as mapped in the late 18th century].
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1808. Williams, J. The Leominster Guide.
“Croft, Shobdon, 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”.
[A touristic hyperbole of the time but demonstrating that Herefordshire parks were considered an
important element of the county identity].
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 (mostly auctions) of
coppice, oak, ash and other standards in woods in Croft and other Kevill-Davies manors.
For example:
Lucton Vallet: 193 standards and 73 poles were sold for £38 [average 2/10d per tree]
Birches Vallet: 215 standards and 83 poles were sold for £28 [average 1/10d per tree]
Lucton Vallet: 265 ash trees were sold for £635 [£2 8s per tree].
Lynham Vallet: 12 lots of coppice auctioned although just 2 were sold: 213 lugs [2.2
acres] selling for £32 17s [£15 10s/acre].
Oaker Coppice: 7 ½ acres of coppice in 8 lots for £14 12s/acre.
[These woods adjoining the park were, as most woods, in active traditional coppice with
standards. The idea (in the current plan) that retaining the current conifer stand for many decades
has ecological benefit is wrong. Kevill-Davies had inherited the Croft estate by marriage from the
Somerset-Davies family.]
1867. A Handbook for Travellers in Gloucestershire Worcestershire and Herefordshire
p154. (John Murray publisher.) “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, to be planted up with
conifers, and most of the old oaks and chestnuts were subsequently ring barked. Common
Wood on the north-west flank above the Lugg valley similarly leased, felled and
coniferized. [see 1946 RAF aerial photograph]
1936 The Dudley-Stamp Land Utilisation Survey (LUS) classifies the Ambrey and Croft
park at “wood pasture, rough grazing or heath” (yellow on the map) but shows it with
conifer symbols indicating that it was still recognisably semi-natural at the time of the
survey – the conifers would have been 7 or 8 years old.
1940. In the winter of 1940/41 there was an ‘ice storm’ over north and west Herefordshire
which damaged many of the Commissions new plantations including some of those at
Croft. Alternate rain and freezing winds produced build up of ice on the branches and
twigs leading to extensive damage to trees throughout the region. The effects of this
unusual meteorological phenomenon are mentioned in the 1953 census of woods (below).
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
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more general policy of imposing a purely industrial will upon our heritage of natural
resources.”
1953 Census of woods. This gives details of all the stands in woods in Herefordshire for
this and includes both FC and private woods. See map sequence for compartment maps
and associated data for Croft estate.
1957. National Trust (NT) 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. The leasehold rent was not
indexed linked so 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].
The FC Croft estate leasehold now comprises the Croft block 127 ha (NT), Common Wood 20 ha
(Mrs Hodges), Bircher Coppice 30 ha (NT), Oaker Coppice 39 ha (NT) and Yeld Wood 39 ha
(owner of Woodcock Hall) = total 286 ha.
1985. Broadleaves Policy becomes part of national forestry policy to be implemented by
the Forestry Commission. For the first time the importance of ancient woodlands and
plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) are recognised. “These woods are
irreplaceable and should not lose their natural characteristics”.
1986 English Heritage registers the Croft Castle, gardens and parkland including the
Ambrey, Fishpool Valley and 90 hectares of the FC woodland up to the edge of Bircher
Common as grade II listed (see map).
1989. Fretwell, Katie.A. Croft Castle Park: Management for Restoration Discussion
Paper. This is the first in-depth study of the park and its history. Includes the
recommendation: “Ideally the whole of the conifer woodland would eventually be
removed, making a return to the open expanse of pasture woodland.”
1995. Forestry Commission district office based in Rugeley issues a draft Forest Design
Plan for Croft, commenting upon which the English Nature conservation officer Helen
Stace wrote “It is disappointing to note the Forest Design Plan largely maintains the status
quo of the area as a block of conifer dominated woodland.” Letter to Mr. Rogers of Forest
Enterprise Marches District (9/2/1995).
On 9/3/1995 there was a meeting at Croft with National Trust, English Nature, Council for
Protection of Rural England, Diana Uhlman (daughter of Major Croft who donated the
estate to the nation) and HWCC who all opposed the plan which is defended by Ian
Hickman district forest manager. 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 and carried out
by FC almost unchanged.
1998. Nichols, A. Butterfly Conservation. Croft Estate/Bircher Common.
Recommendations for the enhancement of the lepidoptora interest, especially the High
Brown Fritillary, include “The phased reduction of the conifers in the woodland on the
Croft Estate.”
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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 the 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
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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 commitment
not to plant conifers in FC managed woods deemed to be of ancient origin.
2008. Herefordshire Biodiversity Action Plan target for ‘wood pasture 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.
2008. Forestry Commission Forest Design Plan (FDP) for Croft continues to plan for
future conifer plantations including 21.9 hectares of Douglas fir in the compartment
between the Ambrey and the park including 10.6 hectares within the Registered Park (see
FDP map ‘Future Species’). This FDP makes the claim against all the evidence that there
never was a park or wood pasture at Croft (!) while conceding just one small square block
of wood pasture - and then unilaterally removes Oaker Coppice and Bircher Coppice from
the Ancient Woodland Inventory (see FDP map “woodland status”).
2009 - 2010. A number of meetings are held between the FC and conservation bodies
including EH, EN, the county archaeologist, HNT and the National Trust all putting the
case for FC to return the landscape to parkland and native broadleaves. EN HQ forces FC
to restore Oaker Coppice and Bircher Coppice to ancient woodland status after receiving
historical documentary and map evidence.
FC’s response was the 2010 Croft FDP which increased the proposed area of new planting
of Douglas fir by 32% to 29 hectares and doubling the area of proposed conifers within the
Registered Park from 10.6 hectares to 22.8 hectares.
Faced with such FC intransigence, the National Trust and their supporting conservation
organisations consider a range of options including NT buying out the FC lease, applying
for Heritage Lottery Funds, appealing to the Regional Advisory Committee on forestry to
force a review of the FDP and investigating a Higher Level Stewardship scheme for
parkland restoration. None of these were easy solutions and all requiring quite of lot of
work by partners.
2010 – 2011. What was looking like a hopeless situation for Croft was suddenly
brightened by events far from Herefordshire as the Government was forced to climb down
after public protests over environment minister Caroline Spelman’s proposed sale of the
public forests. The Independent Panel on Forestry was set up to diffuse the row and to reassess the role of the state forests for the nation. Government response in 2013 to the
panel’s 31 recommendations (see below) was to rename the Forestry Commission (for
state forests) the ‘Public Forest Estate Management Organisation’ (PFE MO).
2011 - 2012. Croft’s fortunes were greatly enhanced with the retirement of Ian Hickman
the district forest manager who had vigorously opposed any restoration plans at Croft.
Prospects improved even further with the transfer of responsibility for the north
Herefordshire woods from the Rugeley FC office to the Coleford FC office in the Dean.
This meant that the forest plans were looked afresh by new FC personnel and taken out of
the hands of Alastair Semple the forest planner directly responsible for the 2008 and 2010
Croft FDPs.
Meanwhile on Croft land that had escaped the 1923 lease to FC, the NT was busy doing its
own restoration. All the conifers in Pokehouse wood were clear felled in one operation and
stocked with native broadleaves. The NT managed conifer block between the Fishpool
valley and the FC leased land was also clearfelled in one operation and has already
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become a beautiful bluebell-carpeted area of parkland. A harbinger of the possibilities for
the whole estate.
2013. Croft Estate and the North Herefordshire woods – test cases for the new Public
Forest Estate (PFE).
In July Government announced the structure and objectives of the PFE MO which
includes under “Environmental Objectives: To maintain and enhance the natural and
historic assets comprising the estate.” As others have commented its other objective
“maximising economic opportunities whilst maintaining public benefit” is old economic
thinking ignoring established concepts ecosystem services and natural capital. Still, we
have the ‘natural and historic assets’ so that’s a good start.
In October the FC, or rather the PFE MO, produced amended maps for the 2010 FDP
which at long last included plans for the conversion of the key compartment between the
Ambrey and current park to wood pasture. Responses to the consultation on this amended
plan ends on December 13th.
The text in the FDP amendment now states “Although the original plan recognises
elements of Plantation Ancient Woodland within the woods, it only partially recognises
and did not fully appreciate the links between Croft Wood, Croft Castle, Croft Ambrey
Hill-fort and the historic landscape setting.” Though a welcome and an exciting start,
merely mentioning ‘links’ and ‘historic settings’, does not do justice to the depth of
information that exists for Croft nor the enormous potential of restoring a 170 hectare park
surrounded by ancient woodland in its entirely and which should be the objective from
now on.
David Lovelace December 2013
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