Croome Court Part 2: The Park

As part of my recent visit to Croome Court, after visiting the church, we next took a walk around the Park. This was Capability Brown’s very first landscaped gardens and though much of it had been left overgrown, in part due to changes of ownership the Court has undergone over the years, the National Trust has been working hard to restore it to its former glory.

One of the pieces to look out for is this rather striking statue of Pan, which the National Trust restored by replacing its missing head.

Other interesting features include the Temple Greenhouse, below, which had removable windows and underfloor heating.

It certainly has some commanding views of the scenery, and National Trust deckchairs are provided should you wish to take a break!

One of the highlights of the Park however is the Grotto.

Made partly of limestone the holes, which you can probably only just make out around the top, used to contain gems and shells. There is an inscription beside it from Virgil’s The Aeneid in Latin, which is translated below:

Behold! A cave beneath the overhanging rocks. Inside, fresh-water springs, and seats formed from the living stone. This is the home of the Nymphs! 

Of course this is all resided over by Sabrina, supposedly a water-nymph inhabiting the River Severn, who you can see more clearly here:

The lake itself, which you walk around at this point – and where we were lucky enough to spot a swan and some cygnets – was originally dug out by hand, which took about 12 years. I can’t quite imagine doing that myself!

It’s a beautiful area and is well worth a visit in its own right. There are many more hidden gems squirrelled away that I won’t spoil for you. It also perfectly complements Croome Court itself – which will be featured in the next post.