A Summer Outing to Croome



On a lovely Summer's day in August, the WI members enjoyed their annual outing, which this year was to Croome, a National Trust property in Worcestershire. We travelled by small coach, so there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy the journey and catch up on everyone's news.

In 1751, George William inherited Croome and became the 6th Earl of Coventry. He immediately employed the most contemporary designers, architects and craftspeople to transform Croome's house and gardens. Now, as in the 18th century , Croome is undergoing a transformation. As well as the house being repaired, the grounds are being restored to their former splendour.


After grabbing 'coffee to go' from the 1940's style restaurant in the visitor centre, we headed out for a tour of the garden and grounds, with one of the National Trust volunteers. Croome Park has a man-made lake and river, statues, temples and other buildings with the Court as the central focus. There are other buildings around the park including Gatehouses and a Grotto and they were intended to draw the eye into the wider landscape with the Malvern Hills as a magnificent backdrop. The park was Capability Brown's first complete landscape, and was set out from 1751 onwards. A lot of the park was designed to be viewed from the Croome Court house.  Robert Adam, along with James Wyatt, designed temples and follies for the park. The National Trust own and have restored the core of the original 18th-century parkland and have many ongoing projects. From the garden tour we headed to the Court and the tea-room in the basement. Most of the group then joined another tour of the Court in the afternoon.

NEEDLE FELT PORTRAIT OF 'CAPABILITY' BROWN IN AN EMBROIDERERS' GUILD EXHIBITION AT CROOME


Croome Court is a mid 18th century Neo-Palladian mansion. The house has been visited by George III, as well as Queen Victoria and George V. The mansion is faced with mellow Bath stone, has a basement and two storeys, with three storeys in the end pavilions. The house is not furnished, as you would expect in a National Trust property, but houses several exhibitions. Currently, these are 'The Lost Tapestries' and the Grayson Perry exhibition. Croome also has Britain's largest walled garden, with restored greenhouses, vibrant border planting, a blooming rose garden and working vegetable plots. Unfortunately, the garden was closed on the day of our visit.

ONE OF THE GRAYSON PERRY TAPESTRIES


The RAF Defford airbase is nearby and some of the Second World War buildings, once the sick quarters for the base, have been restored as Croome's visitor centre and museum. The museum reveals the once secret story of RAF Defford with wartime artefacts, videos and costume displays. Much of the land required for RAF Defford was requisitioned from the Earl of Coventry in 1940. The 1940's style restaurant, here in the visitor centre provided a delicious assortment of cakes and biscuits which was the perfect ending to a thoroughly enjoyable day out.

Our next meeting will be in Yoxall Parish Hall on Wednesday 14th September at 7.30pm.  We will have Margaret Cross talking about 'The Gurkhas'. Visitors are very welcome and further information can be obtained from Penny Bailey through the link below.