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Gardener

Employer
National Trust
Location
Attingham Park, Atcham, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4TP
Salary
£19,928 pa
Closing date
17 Sep 2021

Job Details

If you want a career in Gardening, we can offer you some of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the UK to work in as well as one of the largest plant collections in Europe. 

 Duration: permanent contract. 

 Hours: 37.5 hrs per week 

Working pattern: Regular weekend and bank holiday working is a requirement of this role; usually 1 weekend in four. During opening hours we have staff on site during the summer and shoulder months between 8.30am and 6pm and you would be part of a rota to provide that cover.

What it's like to work here

Attingham welcomes more than half a million visitors a year. Make no mistake, this is a busy and thriving place to be that is full of life and locally loved. The National Trust team here today conserve and care for the estate carrying on the legacy of the eighth Lord and Lady Berwick who left the estate to the National Trust in 1947.

Attingham welcomes everyone - our supporters, members, and visitors are vital in helping us continue our work. Whatever your role, you’ll play your part in helping us build relationships and make connections with our regular visitors, those new to Attingham, and those yet to visit, so we can keep Attingham a special place now, and for everyone, and for ever. Attingham Park is arguably Shropshire’s greatest estate.

Built in 1785 and owned by the same family for five generation, today it is around 4,000 acres in size, and at its heart is a mansion, parkland, walled garden, play space, deer park and various food and beverage and retail outlets.

What you'll be doing

As a hands-on Gardener, you’ll assist in making sure that the gardens are maintained to a high standard. You’ll be passionate and enthused and knowledgeable about the varied plants within the garden. This role will include a range of practical horticultural tasks to develop, enhance and conserve the garden and contribute to the delivery of projects. You'll be helping with hard and soft landscaping and general maintenance of the garden, such as mulching, pruning, leaf clearing and weeding. You’ll support with the planting and maintenance of trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants. You’ll be helping to cut the hedges and mow our fine lawns. You’ll also take ownership of specific areas of the garden ensuring the highest standards are maintained and healthy plants are available for our visitors to enjoy.

You’ll also support garden volunteers and help them to make the most of their time here. You’ll be expected to interact with the public on a daily basis, answering the many questions, or help out with gardening workshops, tours and helping set up events when needed.

Who we're looking for

To be successful in this role you should be able to demonstrate the below:

  • Trained as a professional gardener/horticulturalist with a good level of practical experience.
  • RHS Level 2 or equivalent.
  • Have proven practical gardening/horticulture experience, as well as a strong knowledge of plants
  • Confidence to participate in garden activities and events
  • Competence with machinery/equipment use and maintenance; including tractors, chainsaws, and pedestrian mowers with accreditation as required for Health and Safety compliance.

Company

There's no other organisation like the National Trust. No other organisation that brings such an amazing variety of places and spaces to life.

We are a charity founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces, and wanted to protect them for everyone to enjoy. More than a century after we were founded, our values are still at the heart of everything we do. And we do a lot more than you might think. 

We welcome some 22.5 million visitors, from all ages and backgrounds, every year. We care for historic houses, gardens, mills, forests, castles, miles of coastline, islands, holiday cottages, pubs and inns, whole villages and even a goldmine. We also run a huge retail chain, a multi-million pound food and beverage business and much, much more. And we do all of this so that everyone can enjoy and make the most of the green spaces and beautiful places that England, Wales and Northern Ireland has to offer. 

The National Trust is described by its employee gardeners as “dynamic, supportive, inquisitive and fun”, where its beautiful places “lift your spirits naturally” and “somewhere you can expand new skills”. The organisation is currently recruiting for a number of gardening roles. 

Read more in our latest articles:

What makes the National Trust a special place to work?

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