Improving our visitor facilities at Croft Castle

Croft is a much-loved castle, countryside and garden and has been getting busier and busier every year. This has highlighted the need to make improvements to the car park and other facilities in order to keep providing an outstanding service to all of our supporters.

We’re therefore delighted to announce that we’ve been granted access to some funding to address issues with our car park and toilets, which do suffer when we're very busy.

The current car park will be improved and the overflow car park surface will be adapted so that it can be used all year round. This will significantly enhance the arrival experience and initial orientation for our visitors and also reduce the impact the current layout is having on our native trees. 

At present we don’t formalise our parking spaces and people anywhere, including directly beneath our historic avenue and two large ancient oaks. This has the impact of compacting the roots and is also dangerous for our visitors in case of any loose branches. 

The changes will formalise both our main car park and overflow areas and allow visitors to park with the confidence that they will no longer be having such an impact on the roots of these trees.

The new parking surface will improve drainage and avoid the puddles and muddy ground we get each year at Croft, which is better for the parkland habitat and better for visitors as it gives them a year-round usable space to park.

We also wish to provide more toilets and a Changing Places facility, to save queueing during busy periods and improve accessibility. 

Keep checking our website for further information and updates on when work will be starting and where. We apologise for any disruption this may cause in the short-term, but we’re really looking forward to providing an even better service once improvements have been completed.