Things to see and do in Croome's parkland

Daffodils with the Temple Greenhouse in background — Daffodils growing in spring at the Temple Greenhouse | © John Hubble

With commanding views over the Malvern Hills, the ‘Capability’ Brown landscape was designed to impress. Rescued from almost total loss, today Croome’s parkland with its serpentine river, tree lined lake, and elegant garden buildings is a perfect place to enjoy spring scenes and discover spring wildlife.

Parkland events in 2024

From specialist nature events, history walks, health walks, and park building open days, there's lots to get involved with at Croome in 2024. Follow the link below to see all of Croome's events and reserve your place today.

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Pages from Nature: Walk through the Pleasure Grounds

13 April 2024 – 2 March 2025

As part of Pages from Nature, we invite you to pick up a ‘Walk through the Pleasure Grounds’ guidebook inspired by the Hortus Croomensis with activities to help you experience not only the sights, but also scents, sounds and feelings of the Georgian parkland. Find out the history behind the landscape design; take time to sketch in the booklet, pause along the way to smell scents in the special scent boxes – can you guess what they are? Read quotes from the 1824 text to feel transported back 200 years.

£3 per guidebook (normal admission applies)

Find out more

Spring in the parkland

The arrival of warmer weather in the parkland sees spring plantings begin to emerge. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the famous 18th century landscape designer, ensured that there was something interesting to see throughout the seasons at Croome.

Snowdrops are the first to appear and can be seen in abundance during early spring in the Church Shrubbery. Cheery daffodils are another early spring flower and brighten the walk along the Home Shrubbery near the Rotunda. Throughout the parkland you might also see wild tulips, dog toothed violets, snakes head fritillary, anemone, primroses, and cowslips.

Later in Spring, the Bluebells carpet the ground at the Temple Greenhouse, Church Shrubbery and the Island Pavilion near the lake, the bench near Pan is the perfect spot to admire a sea of bluebells.

The Temple Greenhouse, used to house the 6th Earl of Coventry’s exotic plant collection has its windows opened in late spring and some of the plants are moved outside to make the most of the spring sunshine.

Bluebells on Limpsfield Common — Bluebells | © National Trust / Eleanor Yoxall

Blossom at Croome

In Spring the orchard at Croome displays blossom from a wide variety of fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums and quinces. We have planted old and local varieties where possible with apples such as Pitmaston Pineapple, Worcester Pearmain; plums such as Pershore Yellow Egg and of course the Worcester Black Pear.

The orchard is next to Croome's cafe and visitor centre so you can sit and admire the blossom while relaxing on the outdoor seating.

Later in the year we open the orchard for our Pick Your Own Apples event in September.

White blossom buds and open flowers, tinged with pink, on an apple tree branch — Apple blossom | © National Trust Images/Ross Hoddinott

Spring fauna

Spring has arrived and wildlife at Croome starts to emerge in the parkland.

Small garden birds sing their hearts out to attract mates and start to gather nesting materials. The Church Shrubbery, is a great place to hear birdsong and glimpse woodpeckers, pheasants, nuthatches and treecreepers, as well as assorted finches and tits at the feeding stations.

Nuthatch in southern woods at Quarry Bank, Cheshire — Nuthatch | © National Trust Images/Derek Hatton

A walk through the parkland reveals larger birds like kestrel, buzzard, cormorant and heron. Look out for an elusive kingfisher, sometimes glimpsed around the lakeside as well as swans, Canada geese, ducks, goosander, moorhens and coots.

Late spring sees many migratory birds returning to Croome. House martins and swallows return to their nests at the RAF buildings and the Court. Swifts are often seen soaring around the parkland.

house martins and swallows on a metal fence in front of temple greenhouse at croome park — Housemartins and swallows take a perch | © Charlie Fothergill

Warmer days also mean visitors can rest awhile and enjoy the astonishing aerial display of the colourful dragonflies and damselflies hovering and swooping around the edges of the lake.

You can watch the bees collecting pollen from the flowers, at the same time pollenating the plants around the parkland.

Nightingales at Croome

The team at Croome have consulted with specialist ecologists and ornithologists to ensure that the nightingale habitat at Croome can be preserved and a programme of work was undertaken over the winter in 2016 to further develop the habitat we have.

As a result of this work perhaps more people visiting Croome will get the opportunity to hear ‘a nightingale sing in Croome Park’ safeguarding this special place for future generations.

Nightingales arrive in April and sing until late May and early June.

Temples and follies

Panorama Tower

The Grade I listed Panorama Tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1801, based on an earlier design by Robert Adam for a similar building in the 1760s. The building is made of Bath stone and was modelled on Tempietto Romano in Rome, which was designed by Donato Bramante.

The Park Seat

The Park Seat was designed by Robert Adam in 1766 and has been known locally as The Owl's Nest, as it used to be a home to a barn owl. The Grade II listed building, which overlooks the parkland and has fantastic views to the court along the river, was restored in 2007.

Pirton Castle

Pirton Castle was designed by James Wyatt in 1801. Located on a ridge called Rabbit Bank, Pirton Castle was designed to be viewed from the park at Croome and was deliberately built as a ruin to make the 6th Earl of Coventry's estate seem much older than it actually was.

Dunstall Castle

Grade II* listed Dunstall Castle was designed by Robert Adam in 1766. Adam deliberately designed it as a whimsical folly with elements of both a castle and a church.

Chinese Bridge

When Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was commissioned in 1751 to redesign both the house and the garden, the Chinese Bridge was one of the few features that he kept. Originally designed by William Halfpenny in the 1740s for the 5th Earl of Coventry, the bridge spanned the river close to Croome Court and linked the house to the wider parkland.

Silent Space

Discover Croome's Silent Space which is part of the Silent Space | Peaceful time in green places

Our Silent Space is located not far from the Rotunda in the Home Shrubbery, the 6th Earl of Coventry’s favourite place in the garden at Croome. Take a seat on one of the benches – listen to nature, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the views over the parkland. You might spot swans on the river or hear buzzards as they soar overhead. Enjoy a moment of rest and tranquillity before exploring more of the garden and park at Croome.