The Croft was originally known as Town Croft and later as Church Croft. Around 1553 the land was owned by John Undewes and his wife. They gave the land, about one acre, "for the people of Hungerford to sport herein" at the nominal rent of a red rose yearly, if demanded. Such a rent is not demanded, and The Croft is now part of the Town and Manor land.

In the 1617 James I feoffment The Croft formed part of the lands passed into the trusteeship of the feoffees. This arrangement continued for about 350 years until a short management lease was granted to the Town Council between 1968-89. Unlike the Common Port Down and Freeman Marsh, the Trustees of the Town & Manor are not readily able to generate income from The Croft to pay for its general maintenance and upkeep. In the 1960s the Trustees were under pressure to improve the looks of The Croft by replanting trees, regular cutting of the grassed area, and items to control the vehicles encroaching on the grass. The Town & Manor granted the Parish Council a 21-year lease on condition that they maintain the area from public funds. In 1989 the management reverted to the Town and Manor of Hungerford.

The alley way to the High Street (now known as Church Lane) was first known as Church Passage, and later as Little Church Lane. There are several notes in the Constable's Accounts of money paid to the Bellman for sweeping Church Lane on Saturday evenings so it was clean for the townspeople to go to Church on Sundays.

In 1837 a turnstile was erected at west end of Little Church Lane, but it proved unsatisfactory, and was replaced by the two cast iron posts in 1863.

Under the Commons Registration Act of 1965 the land was registered as a Village Green as it has not Rights of Common. This gave added legal protection to the property for future generations.

In the parliamentary survey of the Town and Manor in 1904 The Croft is described as a small green for show booths for the annual fairs and The Mall adjoining bearing ornamental trees. Annual receipts totalled £10. 10s a year.

The Berkshire and Hampshire railway was built on a high embankment through The Croft and opened in November 1862. Initially there was a single track, but it was converted to a double track in July 1898, requiring the Croft Road and Parsonage Lane bridges (amongst others in the town) to be made wider. The additional brickwork is clearly seen.
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It is said (by WH Summers) that the Town & Manor defrayed the cost of a major law case in 1803 by felling and selling the giant elm trees in The Croft. By the early 1900s the replacement trees had become very tall indeed (see picture below right).

In 1913 an avenue of young sweet chestnuts was planted. The money for the 78 trees was raised by public donation.

The photograph (below right) shows the planting ceremony - on the left, in the bowler hat, is Mr. Henry d'Oyley Wolvey Astley, the local solicitor and Clerk to the Town and Manor. Despite the slow shutter speed blurring the ferocious activity of digger, we know that the new trees were planted by the Constable, Mr. John Adnams. His wife, Mrs Ginny Adnams is said to have been unhappy about the choice of sweet chestnuts, feeling that they were unlucky and unsuitable. She purchased her own tree, a copper beach, and planted it in front of St. Lawrence's Church gate. It was a beautiful tree, but died from fungal infection in 1978-79, and was replaced by a London plane.

Croft Hall (previously Church House) was built in 1900 and is managed as a charity by appointed trustees. The Hungerford Club was founded in 1910 and originally met in Church House before moving to their own premises in 1926.

Harold Clements, who lived in The Caravan, The Marsh was interviewed on 9th Sep 1978: He remembered that 21 The Croft was built c1910-12 by Mr Freeman, head carpenter at Wooldridge's builders on The Wharf. Nos. 23-29 The Croft were built by Wooldridge's c1920. The bowling green was previously "Black Meadow", and belonged to Bobby Haines of Hidden Farm. Next to it was another meadow belonging to Mr Alexander (grocer in High Street). Parsonage Farm was also known as Church Farm, which also owned the land where his caravan was. Ossy Richens owned it then. When the avenue of elm trees were felled in 1913, the timber was used for the long and short bridges over the canal and river.

The Nursery School opened originally in 1942, and was renewed in 2005. The doctors' Surgery was built originally in 1959, and extended in 1993.

A very interesting feature of The Croft is the "tumble stile" leading into the St Lawrence's churchyard.

The Croft, 1794 (Francis map)
Click map for higher resolution

The Croft, 1819 (Enclosure map)

The Croft, 1882 (OS map)

The Croft, c1895

The Croft, c1890
David Ford, a descendant of the
Jessett family of Hungerford
wrote on 21 Oct 1990:
The small boy in the foreground with the milk pail is Louis "Dick" Jessett. Dick was born at the Angel Inn in Church Street in 1881. His father, Frank Jessett ran The Angel, but also had some sort of grocery business - he certainly kept cows.

The tall elms in Church Croft Avenue, c1910

Planting Sweet Chestnuts in the Croft, 1913