Job Description
Head Gardener
Location: Cumbria
Salary: From 35,000 DOE + accommodation available
Hours: Full time
This is a great opportunity to take responsibility for the gardens and grounds of a large private estate, working with an established team and continuing the development of a varied 36 acre site.
The estate includes extensive lawns, pleasure grounds, borders and a Victorian walled garden, alongside a productive kitchen garden supplying produce to the estate's Michelin star restaurant.
What you'll be doing:
As Head Gardener, you'll have overall responsibility for the day to day management, maintenance and development of the gardens and grounds.
- Leading and developing a settled team of full and part-time gardeners.
- Overseeing the maintenance of lawns, borders, pleasure grounds, hedges and wider estate areas.
- Supporting the continued development of the Victorian walled garden.
- Overseeing the productive kitchen garden and working closely with the Kitchen Gardener and Head Chef.
- Providing practical horticultural guidance, training and support to the wider team.
- Planning workloads and making sure standards are maintained across the estate.
- Managing departmental budgets, machinery, health and safety and general garden operations.
- Supporting open days, events and other activity across the estate where required.
- Contributing ideas around future planting, restoration and development projects.
What they're looking for:
- An experienced Head Gardener, Senior Gardener or similar with strong practical horticultural knowledge.
- Previous experience working across a substantial private estate, historic garden or similarly large site.
- A confident people manager who can provide stability, direction and support to an established team.
- Good knowledge across ornamental horticulture, borders, lawns and general estate gardening.
- Experience of productive or kitchen gardening would be useful.
- Someone happy to be visible and involved with the team, whether that is hands on or more focused on guidance and management.
- A practical, organised approach with the confidence to work alongside other departments across the estate.
Why join?
- Take responsibility for a varied 36 acre estate.
- Established and experienced gardening team already in place.
- Opportunity to work across both ornamental and productive horticulture.
- Ongoing investment and development across the estate.
- Kitchen garden supplying produce directly into the estate's Michelin star restaurant.
- Accommodation available as part of the package.
- Salary flexibility for the right person.
Apply now
Send your CV to (url removed) or call (phone number removed) for a confidential chat.
