Croome parkland restoration over the years

1996 - NT acquires parkland, lake, river, garden buildings and Park Seat.

1998 - Croome Park Conservation management plan written drawing archive research together to guide future restoration.

1999 - Wilderness Walk replanted.

2000 - Lakeside garden replanting starts – large donation in memory of George Clive.  Grotto made safe and vegetation removed.

2001 - Tree work around the lake to remove modern species, dangerous trees, scrub and undergrowth.

2002 - Stewardship agreements with tenant farmers to begin the return to pasture.  Iron Bridges to island restored.  Further planting around the lakeside. Restoration of the Dry Arch Bridge.  Island Pavilion restored.  Reversion of arable fields to pasture starts – Church Hill and Horse Close.

2003 - Phase 1 dredging of river.  Deposition of silt on fields, and reversion of arable fields to pasture – part of West Field. Evergreen Shrubbery planting starts.  Restoration of hoggin paths in Evergreen Shrubbery and some around the lake.  Snape and Lickmoor Wetlands created.

2004 - Temple Greenhouse restored – roof, ceiling, floor, steps.  Church Shrubbery cleared of scrub and undergrowth Restoration of hoggin paths in Church Shrubbery and rest of the lakeside paths.  Major phase of parkland tree planting – circular clumps, individual parkland trees.  Wild Walk North – scrub clearance and pollarding of yews.

2005 - Phase 2 dredging of the river.  Deposition of silt on fields.  Second phase of major replanting in parkland.  Hoggin path restored in Wilderness Walk.

2006 -  Interpretation, walks booklet and welcome leaflet first created.  Hard surface car park installed. Statues returned to the garden – Druid, Sabrina, Brown memorial, Lakeside Urn, Punch Bowls.  Church Shrubbery gates and railings restored.  Seeding of arable fields to pasture – rest of West Field.  Temple Greenhouse interior redecorated.

2007 - Park Seat restored.  Evergreen Shrubbery and Cattle Rush gates and railings restored.  Phase one of RAF building Visitor Centre restored and opened.  Middle Grove (in West Field) planted.  Flowering studs created.

2008 - Statue of Pan returns to garden.  Spring bulbs planted around Pan.  Replanting along the rides in Menagerie Wood.  Temple Greenhouse plant collection increased.  Rotunda restoration begins.  Plantation in Arboretum and Flower Garden felled.  First section of ha-ha restored at top of Evergreen Shrubbery.

2009 - Croome Court opened.  Ice House restored and thatched.  Over 3000 snowdrops planted in Church Shrubbery.  Hard surface path to the court.  Hoggin surface on Worcester Drive restored.  Sweet Briar Walk opened up to visitors.  Phase 1 of tree work in Home Shrubbery.  Dunstall Castle, Panorama Tower and Pirton Castle acquired.  Pirton Castle restoration completed.  Phase 2 of RAF building Visitor Centre opens (inc.  nature corridor, new kitchen).  Secondary car park completed.  Weir and plug at the end of the river repaired.  Replanting in Arboretum begins.  Large shrubbery beds created in Evergreen Shrubbery.  Ha-ha in front of Temple Greenhouse restored

2010 - Continuation of ha-ha restoration in Evergreen Shrubbery.  Snowdrops planted in Church Shrubbery – 7500 planted.  Hoggin path to Chinese Bridge restored.  Hedges planted in new car park.  Bat camera and Bird Box camera installed.  Alder plantation at north of South Park felled to restore pasture.  Panorama Tower restoration completed.  Rotunda interior restoration begins.  Willows removed from river bank to northwest of Court.  Lickmoor Wetland dredged to remove silt.  Dunstall Castle restoration complete.  Panorama Tower restoration complete.    Further planting in the herbaceous beds in the Evergreen Shrubbery.  London Lodge acquired.  Hoggin path from south portico towards Home Shrubbery laid

2011 - Western side of the north steps of the Court restored.  Acquired 10 acres at Old Wood (east of main park).  Southern section of Old Wood replanted with 7000 trees.  Rotunda roof and plasterwork restoration complete.  Herbaceous planting in the Evergreen Shrubbery.  Plinths to represent Four Seasons statues in the Evergreen Shrubbery.  Hoggin path up the hill in the Home Shrubbery to Rotunda restored.  Southern section of Home Shrubbery opened to public.  Sash windows replaced in Temple Greenhouse.

2012 - Hedge in sunken ditch (along Westfield Lane) laid.  Worcester Gates restoration completed.  Red Wing scaffolding and wrap-up completed.  Middle Grove re-guarded.  HLF grant for Croome Court applied for.  Cobbles re-laid under Dry Arch Bridge.  Reeds removed from section of river (Black Bridge to Chinese Bridge).  Work starts repair estate walls (volunteer project).  Fencing alongside Home Shrubbery and South Park removed and replaced

2013 - Home Shrubbery ha-ha from blue lias wall to Rotunda restored.  Black Bridge at lakeside removed and new wooden bridge installed.  Essential repairs carried out to London Arch  Roofing repairs to stables at Westfield Farm.  Several 100 metres of Evergreen Shrubbery ha-ha restored.  Estate walls repaired – behind Park Seat and at entrance to South Park.

2014 - 84 self-set trees felled in Home Shrubbery.  Home Shrubbery eastern edge walk carriageway restored and opened to public completing circuit around Croome.  Plans and designs for new Chinese Bridge drawn up .  Plinth for 6th Earl’s Urn repaired.  George 3rd Urn made safe – not fully repaired.  Evergreen Shrubbery culvert collapse repaired.  Ground Source Heat Pump excavation starts.  Home Shrubbery ha-ha from Rotunda to court drive restored.

2015 - Chinese Bridge rebuilt with new foundations set 5 metres from originals.  Extensive shrub planting in Home Shrubbery.  Felling of alder plantation in South Park (opposite Home Shrubbery) to return it to pasture Walled Garden (owned By Chris and Karen Cronin) opens for 10 weekends. New grazing regime in South Park; holistic grazing – allowing fence to south of court to be removed.  Tree thinning in Manley Grove.  Highways Agency rebuilt the brick culvert under High Green road from North Field into Horse Close.

2016 - Ground in park near Rotunda and near South Park entrance gate levelled.  Composting toilet installed near C18th latrine site  Wild Walk laurels heavily pruned to expose stems.  Walled Garden opens in partnership with NT, Fri – Sun Easter to October.

2016 - An urn which was erected as a memorial to George William 6th Earl of Coventry, has been restored to it's place in the Home Shurubbery by Cliveden Conservation.  Over the years, the 6th Earl’s Urn succumbed to the elements with the whole urn falling from the pedestal on which it once sat in the Home Shrubbery.    The National Trust started work in the Home Shrubbery in 2007 and  found the urn in pieces at the base of the pedestal hidden amongst the undergrowth.

2017 - Car park re-surfaced and grass area near road hard-surfaced.

Floor flags raised and repaired after subsidence and approx. 10 metres of coving replaced in Temple Greenhouse after it fell in 2016.  Walled Gardens open at weekends in partnership with NT.

The ruins of the boat house at the lake are fully recorded by SWAG.

Holistic management of South Park is going well, with cattle grazing in the park 12 months a year. Increased biodiversity and parkland in good condition.

Weir and carriage splash are repaired to stop the river leaking, and therefore raising the water level to its proper level.

 
2018 - Temple Greenhouse – garden team bring out the plants every Spring now.

Reed removal by hand from the Croome river.

Estate wall alongside Rebecca Road being rebuilt by the volunteer Walling Team. More about this here.

We were shocked when 60 acres of parkland caught fire in July 2018. Mostly in the arable fields, and no damage to buildings or people.

2019 - Beech Grove replanted by the ranger staff and volunteers on the west of the river, to the south of Croome Court.

Rotunda interior fully redecorated; Pavilion Grey walls and off white dome.

We hosted the first Working Holiday at Croome for over 15 years and the volunteers pulled reeds from the river and lake.

Rangers built an otter holt on the river’s edge.