An enthusiastic and passionate Sole Gardener is sought to take responsibility for the maintenance, care, and ongoing development of the gardens and wider grounds of a beautifully designed private large country house near Chippenham. The property sits within a working farm setting but is distinctly ornamental in character, offering formal design, productive gardens, and extensive natural surroundings.

Set within 170 acres, the approach to the house is via a 200-metre driveway, bordered by neatly manicured hedging. To the front lies a ha-ha, while to the rear a striking circular courtyard garden forms a central feature. This space is enclosed by pleached lime trees and planted with mixed borders and shrubs, with a water feature at its centre, providing a strong visual focal point that connects the surrounding garden areas. The grounds also include extensive lawns, tennis court, and a swimming pool, all of which require a high standard of presentation and care. To the north of the pool is a well-established kitchen and cut flower garden, alongside a one-acre productive orchard comprising mature apple, pear, and plum trees.

Beyond the formal gardens, the estate opens into a wider rural landscape, including farmland, 34 acres of woodland, and areas of natural wetland rich in wildlife. This offers scope for broader grounds work, including woodland maintenance, biodiversity enhancement, and the careful integration of cultivated and natural environments.

The successful candidate will be a skilled gardener ideally with formal horticultural training (RHS level 2 or equivalent desirable), practical hands-on experience, and a genuine passion for plants, and garden development. During the first year whilst work is taking place on the house, the role will be mainly maintenance-focused; however, it is an exciting opportunity to work closely with the owners to further develop and evolve the gardens over time. Spray and chainsaw certificates would be advantageous but not essential – training can be provided.

Key responsibilities will include the ongoing maintenance of the beds and borders, lawns, water features, care of the kitchen and cut flower garden; orchard management; and will involve seasonal planting, pruning, irrigation management, propagation, and general estate presentation to a high standard throughout the year.

Additional duties involve groundwork in the wider estate, including light woodland management, hedge maintenance, clearing waterways, pond management and repairing gates / fences. The role may extend into supporting agricultural or estate activities depending on the candidate’s skills and interests.

This position is ideally suited to a motivated and capable gardener who is looking for a long-term opportunity to take ownership of a diverse and beautifully established country estate. The owners are seeking someone who can bring initiative, plant knowledge, and a thoughtful approach, with the ambition to help shape the gardens over the next five to ten years.

This is a rare opportunity to join a distinctive private estate at an exciting stage of its development, combining formal garden excellence with productive horticulture and a wider naturalistic landscape. 

SALARY:        up to £35,000 DOE

LOCATION:  Near Chippenham

JOB No:          EC72817

If this Sole Gardener vacancy is of interest, please apply below,  call Sara Yassin on 01233 733510 or  info@englishcountrygardeners.co.uk

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Thank you for the interest you have shown in this Sole Gardener  vacancy.  Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not possible to respond to every one.  Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 14 days, your application for this vacancy has been unsuccessful.

We are proud to work with:

• the Professional Gardeners’ Guild
• the RHS
• the WFGA – offering the WRAGs Scheme
• Arne Maynard Garden Design
• Historic Houses
• the HBG Training Programme

Tagged as: Berkshire, Chippenham, full time, hampshire, Live Out, Oxfordshire, Sole Gardener, Wiltshire