1. From the Visitor Centre, turn left into the Wilderness Walk.

On the left you will see a smoke bush (A), continue along the

path towards the Church.

2. As you leave the Wilderness Walk to enter the main parkland

on your right is a beech tree (B). Follow the path past the

entrance to the Church and turn left through the gate into the

Church Shrubbery.

3. Follow the path, passing the Ice House and the Bird Hide on

your left and cross the tarmac road into the Home Shrubbery.

Heading towards the Rotunda, on the left you will see a very

old example of mulberry (C). Continue to the Rotunda and

then turn right down through the Home Shrubbery.

4. On your right in the Home Shrubbery you will see oriental

plane trees (D) and a maidenhair tree (E). On the left, just

before the gate into the parkland, you will see a swamp

cypress (F). These are all mentioned in the Hortus

Croomensis, the 1824 guide book to Croome.

5. Go through the gate and turn right following the path past

the Court and head for the Chinese Bridge.

6. Cross the bridge and here you will find two fine examples of

london plane trees (G) which Brown loved to plant near water.

7. Turn right and follow the path alongside the ‘river’. Go

through the gate into the lakeside and turn left following the

path towards the white bridge over to the island.

8. Cross the first bridge onto the island where you will see a

large horse chestnut (H). Cross the second bridge and follow

the path leading you towards the Grotto.

9. Just before the Grotto, on the left, you will see a lime tree

(J). Continue to follow the path round the lakeside and turn

left under the Dry Arch Bridge. Above you will see examples of

holly K) with its bright red berries.

10. Follow the path where, on the left, you will see another

example of the maidenhair tree (K). Continue past the Temple

Greenhouse into the Evergreen Shrubbery where you will see

examples of privet (L).

11. Continue along the path to the Church and then go through

the gate returning to the Visitor Centre through the

Wilderness Walk.

Directions

Croome - An autumn colour walk

Take a walk through an incredible landscape of orange and gold this autumn.

Route Details

A. Smoke bush, native to a large area from southern Europe

to northern China. The leaves are long rounded ovals, green

with a waxy glaucous sheen. The autumn colour can be

strikingly varied, from peach and yellow to scarlet.

B. Beech tree, the leaves of beech are often not shed in the

autumn and instead remain on the tree until the spring. This

process is called marcescence and provides continual colour

through autumn and winter.

C. Mulberries are medium sized trees that naturally grow in a

bush form. In the spring and summer the foliage positively

glows, whilst in the autumn and winter the stark gnarled

framework of branches looks simply stunning.

D. Oriental plane tree with a highly dissected leaf. Originally

from Asia Minor and India, the Oriental plane has long been

planted as a shade tree owing to its widely spreading

branches. In autumn they turn yellow and brown before

falling. As the tree matures the bark forms a patchwork effect

by flaking off in sections.

E & K. Maidenhair tree is one of the most beautiful deciduous

trees. This species evolved over 200 million years ago. Male

trees are preferable for ornamental use because of the smell

the female seeds exude. Brilliant autumn colour is one of the

many attributes of this tree. The shape of a ginkgo leaf, with

its scalloped outer margin, is similar to those of maidenhair

ferns, hence the common name of maidenhair tree.

F. Swamp cypress most famously associated with the

mangrove swamps of the Everglades, is one of the few

deciduous conifers found growing in Britain. In autumn, its

fine, feathery needles are shed just after they produce a

stunning display of seasonal red foliage.

G. London plane trees are vigorous, large deciduous trees of

stately appearance, with maple-like foliage and beautiful

flaking grey and cream bark. The leaves turn a rich orange-

yellow before falling in autumn.

H. Horse chestnut trees are a common sight but not actually

native to Britain. It arrived in the sixteenth century and was

grown, initially, as a specimen tree. Only later did it begin the

process of naturalisation, probably as a result of extensive

planting by landscape designers like ‘Capability’ Brown and

Sir Christopher Wren.

I. Lime tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree with a

spreading or rounded crown, and glossy dark green, heart-

shaped leaves to 8cm in length, turning yellow in autumn.

J. Common holly, everyone is familiar with our common holly,

with its glossy evergreen leaves and red berries in the autumn.

L. Privet, the fruit is a small glossy black berry containing one

to four seeds. The berries are poisonous to humans but

readily eaten by thrushes, which disperse the seeds in their

droppings.

Plant Descriptions

A

B

C

D E

F

G

H

I J K

L

A. S

mo

ke b

ush

(co

tin

us

coggy

gri

a)

B. B

eech

tre

e (

fag

us

sylv

atic

a)

C. M

ulb

erry

(m

oru

s n

igra

)

D. O

rien

tal p

lan

e tr

ees

(p

lata

nu

s o

rien

talis

)

E. M

aid

enh

air

tree

(g

inkg

o b

ilob

a)

F. S

wam

p C

ypre

ss (

taxo

diu

m d

isti

chu

m)

G. L

on

do

n p

lan

e tr

ee (

pla

tan

us

x h

isp

anic

a)

H. H

ors

e ch

estn

ut

(ae

scu

lus

hip

po

cast

anu

m )

I. L

ime

tree

(T

ilia

x eu

rop

aea)

J. H

olly

(ile

x ac

qu

ifo

lium

)

K. M

aid

enh

air

tree

(g

inkg

o b

ilob

a)

L. P

rive

t (l

igu

stru

m v

ulg

are)

Au

tum

n c

olo

ur

wal

k at

Cro

om

e