Spring walk at Croome near Worcester
This relaxing circular walk around the outer parkland with superb views across the Worcestershire countryside to the Malvern hills and great spots to see the Croome's spring flora and fauna.
Map
Start:
National Trust Croome, Visitor Centre, near High Green, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR8 9DW
1
From the Visitor Centre, follow the path through the Wilderness Walk shrubbery (look out for spring flowering bulbs) to a gate which brings you to the top of Church Hill. Walk around the front of the church and pass through a metal gate into Church Shrubbery, a great spot to see swathes of bluebells. Follow the path eventually passing the bird hide on your left where you can see a variety of wild birds.
2
Follow the path, crossing a tarmac road. Continue along the path until you reach the Rotunda. Keep your eye out for our squirrels who frolick around in the trees. From the Rotunda follow the path to the right down through the Home Shrubbery to the iron gate at the bottom. Look out for the banks of daffodils on the right.
The Rotunda is a Grade 1 listed building designed by 'Capability' Brown in the 1760s.
3
Go through the iron gate into the park and follow the path to the right towards the Court. Continue along the path from the Court to the Chinese Bridge.
4
From the Chinese Bridge, staying on the Court side of the river, follow the mown path alongside the river for about three quarters of a mile until you reach a stile. Along the way you will see a lot of our birdlife, if you are lucky you will see a kingfisher or a heron. Cross the stile and walk clockwise around the pool.
An exact replacement was created using images of the historic bridge from a painting by Richard Wilson in 1758 of Croome and also a book from 1749 called “Developments in Architecture and Carpentry”.
5
Cross over a small bridge. Just before the bridge there is a bench, a great spot to sit awhile and if you are lucky you will hear nightingales singing.
6
Just after the bridge turn left across a wooden platform into the shelter belt, this is a narrow wooded area; follow the path for about a mile through the woods until you reach the end of the shelter belt. If you are quiet you might spot muntjac deer in the shelter belt. We have done a lot of conservation work in this area to improve the habitat for nightingales and ground nesting birds.
7
At the end of the shelter belt you will see, on the left, a National Trust sign. Turn right, away from the sign, go through the gate and turn right into the field, follow the fence along the shelter belt back in the direction you have just walked.
8
Shortly you will reach three gates on the right, go through the gates until you reach the farm road.
9
Turn left and walk along this road (there may be a further closed gate across the road, go through it). Walk along the road until you see a large gate on the right back into the park. Go through the gate, turn left and in a few yards on the left you will see another gate, into the lake area.
10
Enter the lake area and follow the path to the right past the remains of the derelict boat house. Whilst you are walking around the lake look out for spring flowering primroses, daffodils and as the season progresses bluebells.
11
Where you meet the main path round the lake, turn left and cross the two white bridges linking the island to the main path, look out for the primroses along the banks. Follow the path around the lake, past the Grotto until you reach the Dry Arch bridge. Turn left under the bridge and follow the path, past the Temple Greenhouse.
12
Continue through the Evergreen Shrubbery back to the Church. From here return to the Visitor Centre.
End:
National Trust Croome, Visitor Centre, near High Green, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR8 9DW
