Gardeners Help to Restore The House

We were delighted to learn last month that the Somerset Gardens Trust has generously donated £1,000 towards the cost of restoring and conserving the rotunda in Hestercombe's fantastic formal garden. Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and built between 1904 and 1908 after he and Gertrude Jekyll were commissioned to create the formal garden at Hestercombe, the...

Enhanced by serene scenery, first-class hospitality and an abundance of comfortable accommodation, St Audries Park offers all the charm you would expect from a beautiful country manor wedding venue in Somerset. With our beautiful Orangery and extensive grounds, our country house is the first choice for many wanting a coastal wedding.Our beautiful wedding...

This cute little house and garden is on the Castle Drogo estate and was built as a childrens garden. Quite adorableGertrude Jekyll was a big fan of childrens gardens and in fact wrote a book on it. She encouraged whole minature kitted out houses so that kids could learn to cook in there and live out a fantasy world.

The Role:Our client is currently seeking a reliable and skilled Grounds Maintenance Operative to join our team. As a grounds maintenance operative, you will be responsible for the general maintenance and upkeep of outdoor areas, including gardens, parks, and public spaces, ensuring they are kept clean, safe, and visually appealing.Responsibilities: Mowing...

Help for heritage as Hestercombe receives lifeline from Government's Culture Recovery Fund:Help for heritage as Hestercombe receives lifeline from Government's Culture Recovery FundHeritage sites protected: More help for heritage in need with £14 million investment in England's historic sites Hestercombe among 162 organisations receiving lifeline grant from...

Rediscovering and Restoring the Octagon Summerhouse:by Assistant Archivist, Ben Whitworth_ The restoration of Hestercombe's Landscape Garden calls for a wide range of skills. For example, an Octagon Summerhouse is known to have existed in 1761 when someone listed it among the seats and alcoves within the Garden. However, it was subsequently demolished...

We need your help to keep Hestercombe Gardens open for everyone to enjoy now, and for future generations:Over the last 30 years Hestercombe's historic landscape and its unique, world famous gardens have been lovingly restored.However, Hestercombe's closure due to the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the Hestercombe Gardens Trust's...

Come and visit our new Gallery Shop in Hestercombe House, as well as our Gift Shop and Plant Centre on the Marquee Lawn:An overview of the new Gallery ShopGallery Shop:Visit Hestercombe's new Gallery Shop for beautiful local handmade gifts. With a mix of high quality pieces, local artists showcase their work - a diverse selection of materials including...

It has taken hours of hard work but finally we have managed to start work in our glasshouse.We were recently given the opportunity to have two big Victorian glasshouses. Previously we had worked from a small domestic one and a poly tunnel. A lady from a neighboring village needed to sell up and was worried that her glasshouses would just end up being...

What a summer I have never known such a prolonged drought in my 15 years of working at Hestercombe. I'm surprised, and pleased, that not only have the plants survived, but the team has too.:Very early on we took the decision not to water the lawns. Water is such a valuable commodity and as a public garden it's important that we show a different approach....

Head Gardener Claire Greenslade explores the concept of re-using old bicycle inner tubes to help new trees grow, and reduce plastic in the garden:Hessian ribbon degraded too well and needed replacing every few monthsAt Hestercombe we're really keen to be as green and ecologically minded as possible, and are always looking for more ways to improve. So here's...

Philip, our Chief Executive here at Hestercombe, joined the list of names honoured with an MBE last weekend in recognition of his services to Historic Garden Restoration. It is a well deserved appreciation of the 20 years of work he has devoted to recovering Hestercombe Gardens. It's a really exciting moment for Philip and for Hestercombe as a whole and we...

Winter is officially here, but before you chop all your foliage to the ground, think about the wildlife in your garden...The cold months last a long time if you're a bird, a hedgehog, a deer or a rodent. Places to shelter are vital for the cold months, and food for them to eat gets more and more scarce.Some plants actually prefer it if you leave their...

The Hestercombe Gardens Trust was established in 1996 to oversee the restoration of the gardens and to protect them for the future:The Trust's Objectives:The Trust's charitable objective is: to reclaim, restore, preserve, enhance and develop for the education and benefit of the public, the landscape, gardens and buildings of heritage, horticultural or...

by Claire Greenslade, Hestercombe's Head Gardener_How do you manage a large garden with a furloughed team and locked down volunteers?Who knew that this would ever be a question I would have to ask myself. This virus is something that none of us had been able to prepare for.Since March 23rd 2020 Hestercombe has had to close its gates. Really big decisions had...

Location: The Cricketers TauntonAre you a great team player? You don't need any experience to join as a Front of House Team Member as we will teach you the rest. We want you to be able to connect with the team and deliver a great experience to our guests.Can you- _Welcome and engage every guest_- _Prepare and serve our high-quality food and drink_- _Make...

Philip gave us a tour of our 'new house' today and for some of us it was our first peek at the past, and to the future of Hestercombe.As you can imagine the house is a vast project. Parts of it are amazing while other parts are very 'officey' looking through years of County Council activity.But for me the most exciting part is the views down onto the...

This Saturday is a momentus day for Hestercombe as the House is finally re-united and opened up to the public for the first time in over 100 years.Several spaces have been reclaimed and are being used as a Gallery. The first exhibition 'Leaping the Fence' contains important artworks from the last 25 years including pieces by Tracey Emin, Mark Wallinger and...

In 2005, Hestercombe Gardens Trust took ownership of Gotton Copse, a patch of woodland roughly 9 acres in size, but it was several years later that we started to restore the area ~ and found swathes of glorious bluebells:Watch above: Ben gives a tour of the Bluebell Walk at Gotton Copse_- by Ben Knight, Gardener_In 2005, Hestercombe Gardens Trust took...

Full or part time, hours dependant on business demands. Job role includes basic maintenance, panting, assisting in the gardens, assisting the kitchen & back of house Team during busy periods.Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, PermanentPart-time hours: 20-40 per weekSalary: From £9.50 per hourBenefits: Onsite parkingSchedule: 8 hour shiftSupplemental pay...