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Senior Gardener - Wrest Park

THE ENGLISH HERITAGE TRUST

26,671 per year

Wrest Park, Bedfordshire

Full-time

25th May 2026

Listed today

Senior Gardener - Wrest Park

Title: Senior Gardener - Wrest Park
Location: Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HR
Salary: From £26,671 p.a. depending on skills & experience / 36 hours per week / Permanent
Job type: Permanent
Ref: 16436

Would you like to work for the charity that cares for hundreds of historic sites in every corner of England? With 14 main garden sites and dedicated garden teams, we are looking for a Senior Gardener to join our team at Wrest Park working in the Upper gardens team. This is a full-time role where you will work 36 hours per week.

Our gardens at Wrest Park are unique, with a range of surviving garden layouts dating back to the late 17th century. Across the 90 acres French, Dutch, Italian and English styles are showcased side by side. Highlights include the sub-tropical conservatory and a restored Rose Garden featuring modern hybrid roses, shrub roses and specimen trees. There is also a walled garden with espalier and fan-trained fruit trees.

English Heritage have undertaken an extensive programme of revitalisation and restored key formal areas including the rose garden, pear orchard and evergreen garden. The Italian Garden and French Parterre are a riot of colour in summer; planted up with seasonal bedding varieties which vary each year. Work will continue well into the future in the woodland gardens where rides, serpentine paths and waterways are being remodelled and replanted to restore the intimate nature of the garden compartments throughout the woodland. The whole garden contains numerous statues, lakes and other garden features such as an ornate marble fountain and a baroque pavilion.

Heritage lives in places and people, memories and stories, artefacts and traditions. It can connect us all to the past, and to each other. It can make us happier, strengthen every community, and help shape society for the better. Everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits it brings.

That's why, as a charity, we care for over a million objects and hundreds of historic sites in every part of England, from international icons to local treasures. And it's why we open them up, share their stories and find new ways for everybody to enjoy, learn, play and create.

Benefits include:

- Comprehensive training and CPD

- The opportunity to progress your career

- Apprenticeship opportunities

- Opportunities to go to some of our great live music and history events

- Free access to all English Heritage sites for you and up to six friends and family members

- 25% discount in our shops and cafes

-Corporate subscription / memberships to gardening organisations

- Enhanced maternity/paternity/shared parental leave

- 25 days' holiday plus Bank Holidays pro rata rising to 28 days after 3 years

- Options to buy additional leave

- Matched pension contributions up to 10%

As Senior Gardener, you will work closely with the Head Gardener. You will play a vital role in ensuring that all work carried out by our fantastic teams of gardeners and volunteers is to the highest of standards. You will find imaginative ways of bringing to life the stories that our gardens tell, helping visitors of all ages to make new discoveries. You'll enhance our visitors day out from sharing your gardening knowledge, to ensuring their health and safety. Being able to ensure smooth running of weekly job rotas and input into the seasonal work plans are also a must for this busy and engaging role.

You will have a high-quality garden experience in amenity horticulture, excellent plant knowledge and horticultural skills; and a talent for leadership.

Find out more about us and what we do: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/ You can also meet some of our people and hear about why they enjoy working with us: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/our-people/careers-with-us/

Forget the stereotypes. It takes thousands of people from every background to care for England's heritage and open it up for everybody to enjoy. We're looking for every type of person with every kind of skill and experience, and we're committed to making sure that English Heritage is an equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work. You can connect with others through our EDI networks as a member or ally. These include Ethnic Diversity, Faith & Belief, Social Equity, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergence, Age, Disability and Gender Health and Wellbeing.

We take wellbeing seriously. We are committed to ensuring everyone feels safe at work and can carry out their role. To support this, we have a network of Mental Health First aiders, regular information and awareness events, unlimited access to an Employee Assistance Programme and work with our people to implement reasonable adjustments.

If you would like to talk to us e.g. about workplace adjustments or working patterns, please contact Andrew Luke, Head Gardner andrew.luke@english-heritage.org.uk No agencies please.

Closing date: 25/05/2026 23:59:59

You will need to refer to the following documents when completing your application.

Job Description