The castle, or rather, castellated manor house,  has been a home for nearly 1000 years, with connections going back to 1066 but with Georgian  interiors. There are interesting stories to learn about the Croft family, for example, how they sold the castle in the C18th and then bought it back again in the early C20th. Now looked after by the National Trust, family members still live there. It has woodland, farm and parkland and a walled garden but is particularly well-known for its old trees, Spanish Chestnuts, oaks and beeches, and it is one of the most important sites in North west Europe for veteran trees and dead wood invertebrates. There are events and activities held at the castle and it is also possible to visit Croft Ambrey, an Iron Age hill fort from there. Click on the photos to visit the website.

Tenbury Wells, just over the border from Herefordshire into Worcestershire, holds a mistletoe festival every year, with the mistletoe auctions at the heart of the events. The auctions have been running for over 100 years but the celebrations now include a National Mistletoe Day (endorsed by Parliament for the nearest Saturday to Dec. 1st annually) and a Druid procession and ceremony with the crowning of a Mistletoe Queen and Prince. The Mistletoe Foundation website writes that “Mistletoe is the manifestation of the magic in the land, that is why it grows in the places where the magic is strongest.” As we believe that much of the remaining mistletoe in the country grows in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, it stands to reason that “the magic” is strongest here too - come and stay and see! Click on any photo to take you to the Tenbury Mistletoe Festival website.

Hard to see perhaps, as these photos were taken at dusk from a distance, but they are two fallow deer, does, wandering through our garden  recently on the far side of the moat.  They like woodland and thickets for cover during the day so were probably just passing through. The photos were sent to us by the guests who took them whilst staying at Barn Croft recently, Bruce and Madeleine Coleman from Australia.

Exciting news for fans of the Antiques Roadshow locally - Fiona Bruce and the team will be coming to Hampton Court on Thursday July 22nd; the grounds of this local castle are beautiful and spacious enough to accommodate plenty of owners of antiques. Last year it was used as the venue for our county Red Cross fundraising day, always a great success. Click on Fiona Bruce above to take you to the Antiques Roadshow website or on the link below to take you to the Hampton Court website.

http://www.hamptoncourt.org.uk/