The History of Croft Castle

Expert curated

The exterior of the castellated 17th-century manor house at Croft Castle — The entrance to Croft Castle | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Croft Castle is a place of ancient occupation on the border between England and Wales. It has grown synonymous with the Croft family who have occupied it for nearly a millennium, with a ‘short’ interval between 1746 and 1923. But Croft also has an imaginative side, as later generations of the family deliberately enhanced the medieval and picturesque appearance of the castle and estate.

Loyal supporters of the Crown

The Croft family have been supporters of their monarchs since the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, serving in the military, the church and Parliament. During the earlier periods of Croft Castle’s history, the family often bolstered its fortune through marriages to well-connected heiresses.

Bernard de Croft appears in the Domesday Book (the survey of land ownership in England compiled in 1086) as the owner of Croft Castle, then a ‘motte and bailey’ structure, or a raised keep joined to an enclosed courtyard. The Crofts became established as Marcher Lords, defending the unstable borders or ’Marches’ between England and Wales for nearly 350 years. Sir John de Croft (1372–1419) married Jonet (c. 1375–1404), daughter of Owain Glyndwr (c. 1354–1416), and was swept up in the latter’s struggle for Welsh independence. When the English defeated Glyndwr in 1409, he went into hiding at Croft Castle, likely with his daughter Jonet, remaining a free man until his death.

Croft Castle is remarkable for its family portraits. The earliest is the marble tomb of Sir Richard (c. 1430–1509), in St Michael and All Angels’ Church next to the castle. This soldier-statesman navigated highly dangerous times, supporting King Richard III at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 and then as Treasurer for King Henry VII. Sir James Croft (c. 1518–90), was rewarded for his loyalty to the young Princess Elizabeth (1533–1603, late Queen Elizabeth I), becoming Comptroller of the Queen’s Household. Sir William Croft (1593–1645), died in action for the Royalist cause in the grounds of the castle during the Civil War. Dr Herbert Croft (1603–91) was appointed Bishop of Hereford after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. He used the castle as his Bishop’s Palace during his tenure. In 1671, in recognition of the family’s service to the Crown, Sir Herbert Croft (c. 1652–1720) was created a Baronet.

Living a picturesque life

Sir Archer Croft, 2nd Baronet (1683–1754), lost a fortune in the 1720 financial crash known as the South Sea Bubble. The value of shares in the South Sea Company, set up to trade enslaved people in South America, rose vertiginously, fueled by speculation, and then collapsed. In 1746, unable to recover his losses, the 2nd Baronet sold the family seat to Richard Knight (1693–1765) of nearby Downton Castle, who had made his wealth in iron foundries. Knight gave it to his daughter Elisabeth (1719–1813) upon her marriage to Thomas Johnes I (c. 1721–80), Member of Parliament for Radnorshire.

Elisabeth set about remodeling Croft with the aid of local architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (1723–77). He was the designer of the iron bridge at Coalbrookdale (the first bridge in the world to be made of iron), and some of his accomplished plasterwork is still extant in fireplaces and ceilings throughout Croft’s reception rooms. Her son, Thomas Johnes II (1748–1816) was raised in this Rococo-Gothic setting and it inspired him deeply, as did the ideas expressed by the champions of the ‘Picturesque’ in landscape design, Uvedale Price (1747–1829) and Richard Payne Knight (1751– 1824, a cousin of Elizabeth Johnes).

Thomas Johnes II created a picturesque landscape in Croft’s Fishpool Valley and went on to lay out a grandly ‘sublime’ estate at Hafod in the Ystwyth valley. His subsequent bankruptcy meant that Croft was sold again in 1799 to Somerset Davies (1754–1817), a local MP and wool merchant, whose family, later the Kevill-Davieses, lived at Croft for 124 years.

The old pump house in Fishpool Valley on the Croft Castle estate | © National Trust Images/Emily Roe

The Crofts without Croft

Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, 5th Baronet (1751–1816), is best known for attempting a revision of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary that failed due to lack of subscribers. A copy is on display at the castle. His brother, Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet (1762–1818), was involved in what was called the ‘triple obstetrical tragedy’. He attended Princess Charlotte (1796–1817) when she gave birth, but both mother and son died, changing the course of British history. Though it was no fault of Sir Richard, he never recovered and killed himself shortly after.

Sir Richard’s granddaughter, Grace Croft (1826–98), married Edward Murray (1825–93) in 1846, creating the Croft-Murray line of the family. Edward was born in the British West Indies and was painted, with his brother, on his family’s Trinidad sugar plantation, with their nanny behind them, who is likely to have been enslaved. The Croft family continued their political and military careers thereafter, both at home and throughout the British Empire. After moving back to Herefordshire in the mid-19th century, the family finally bought back Croft Castle in 1923.

A family home once more

Brigadier-General Sir Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft (1881–1947) inherited the castle from a cousin in 1941. A decorated soldier, Sir Henry served in Sir Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet and was known for his antipathy towards Germany. He did not hide his disappointment when his daughter Diana (1912–99) chose to marry the German-Jewish artist Fred Uhlman (1901–85). Diana was a founding member of the Artists’ Refugee Committee that sought to save Continental artists who were being persecuted by the Nazis by bringing them to Britain. Immediately upon arrival, the Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) was commissioned to paint Michael Croft (1916–97), Diana’s brother, and their sister Posy (1918–2015). Kokoschka’s portrait of Michael now hangs in the Oak Room.

In 1940 Fred was interned as an ‘enemy alien’ on the Isle of Man, just 10 days before the birth of his and Diana’s first child, Caroline. Fred was eventually released, but his parents, who had remained in Germany, died in the ghetto at Theresienstadt. He continued to work as an artist and writer after the war, developing a deep artistic connection to North Wales.

A convent school had been evacuated to Croft Castle during the war, but it left again in 1946. The 1st Lord Croft died in 1947, and Michael (now the 2nd Lord Croft) was faced with very substantial inheritance tax. He sold the castle to a cousin, Major Owen Croft (1880–1956), who in turn died in 1956, when it was put up for sale.

At a time when large aristocratic homes like Croft were often seen as a burden, Diana and Michael knew that the castle risked demolition. With her usual tenacity, Diana set about using her knowledge and contacts to highlight Croft’s importance. She, Michael and their distant cousin, the art historian Edward Croft-Murray (1907–80), furnished the interiors at the castle to make them meaningful and attractive to visitors. Diana also redesigned the walled and north forecourt gardens.

In 1957 Croft Castle was acquired by the National Trust, with financial support from the National Land Fund, the Croft family and a public appeal. Each of the three family members retained a flat within the body of the building in a communal effort to maintain the connection of the Croft family with the castle. To this day, Diana’s grandchildren are still active tennants and the National Trust maintains connections with other local members of the family and with the 14th Baronet, who lives in Australia.

Ancient trees on the walk up to Croft Ambrey, Croft Castle | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

A brief history

1085

Back to the Domesday book

The Croft estate was founded by a Norman knight, Bernard de Croft and was first recorded in the Domesday book in 1085.

Autumn exterior of Croft Castle, Herefordshire — Autumn exterior of Croft Castle | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Oral history of Croft Castle

These recorded interviews from people who lived and worked at Croft during the twentieth-century tell personal stories from the era. These form a permanent record of Croft’s history and, in conjunction with the British Library, are collated and held for the nation.

Hazel Landreth - Second World War school days

In 1941 at ten years old, Hazel Landreth was evacuated from the bombing of Birmingham during the Second World War to Croft Castle. Croft was requisitioned to be a boarding school during the war. She was a pupil from 1941 to 1945. Listen to an extract of her Oral History recording below.
Listen to Hazel's story

Caroline Compton - Memories of Croft Castle

After the Second World War, Croft was about to be sold. As a young girl of 17, Caroline Compton witnessed her parents save the estate, negotiating its transfer to the National Trust in 1957. The Hon. Diana Uhlman, her mother, transformed the walled garden and forecourt garden over the years, with Caroline's enduring help.
Listen to Caroline's story

Rob Russell and Mary Monroe - The Gardener's Children

During 1950-57, Mr Russell, the gardener, lived at Croft - these are some of the memories of his children, Rob and Mary, of their life at Croft, the household and the owners at the time.
Listen to Robe and Mary's story

Suggestions for additional links, onward journey:

Ancient Croft:

Croft Ambrey Hillfort - Roman Britain Website.

Medieval Croft:

Ray, Keith, and Hoverd, Tim, Croft Castle Estate: An Archaeological Survey, Herefordshire Council, 2001–2.
Davies, R.R., The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997.
The Battlefields Hub → Wars of the Roses → The Western Campaign of 1461 → The Battle of Battle of Mortimer's Cross

Picturesque Croft: