413: Claire Greenslade, Hestercombe

Peter Donegan chats with Claire Greenslade, head gardener at Hestercombe. 

Following a degree in fashion and textiles, working in the clothing industry and making stained glass windows, she went on to volunteer at the Barley Wood Walled Garden at Wrington. That was the springboard to a three year National Trust gardening apprenticeship at Barrington Court, and from there to Hestercombe where she is integral in the development and preservation of this historic estate. She says: “Hestercombe is very special: it’s one of the few places in the country that you can walk into one of Jekyll’s designs,”

Hestercombe is unique in that it boasts three centuries of garden design, and one of the best examples of collaboration between architect Edwin Lutyens and gardens designer Gertrude Jekyll. Owned by the Hestercombe Gardens Trust, Hestercombe attracts almost 100,000 visitors annually and offers a contemporary art gallery in the main house, and 50 acres of formal and landscape gardens. The ongoing restoration and preservation of Hestercombe is the driving force for the Trust, and future plans include reinstating a 400-year-old water gardens in the park area of the estate. 

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More info:

Website: www.hestercombe.com

Twitter: @HestercombeGdns

Instagram: @hestercombegdns

Claire's instagram: @hestercombeheadgardner

Facebook: hestercombe

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