PUBLIC PLACES
We are currently clearing and replanting wildlife ponds, which have to be cordoned off when any events are using the gardens
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Permanent plots have been created to grow game cover for gun dog scurry competitions at the Game Fair
Ragley Estate
Forty full time staff including the Sawmill and Butchery
Farm/parkland: farm manager Hamish Stewart, plus three full time farm workers, office support and casuals
Gardens: head gardener, two full time gardeners, plus students
Equipment Parkland equipment Browns Aerator
8.2m Spearhead rotary mower Spearhead toppers Twose heavy rollers Grass harrow
weddings and other functions,” explains Mark.
They have an interesting history, being a relatively recent addition, he explains. “The current house was originally planned
in 1680, although there had previously been a house where the rose garden now stands. In fact, the ‘new’ house was not decorated and furnished until 1750, so the two houses stood side by side. Before Robert Marnock was commissioned to design the gardens in 1873, livestock were grazed right up to the terrace!” To manage labour costs, and
accommodate a wider range of uses, former flowerbeds immediately behind the house are now lawned to accommodate marquees. “Ragley is very popular for weddings and, as the Great Hall can only seat 180, we add marquees which can take 400-500 people,” he explains. “It can take its toll on the grass, especially in a dry year such as this.”
Mark comments that the rose garden is the main focus, but another key attraction is the winter garden, home to eighty varieties of snowdrop, drawing crowds of enthusiasts as well as the general public in February. A wildflower garden has replaced formal flowerbeds shown in 1920s photographs and provides an attractive interface between the parkland and rose garden for guests. The reduced opening hours make for easier management, he reflects, especially when carrying out renovation projects. “We are currently clearing and replanting wildlife ponds, which have to be cordoned off when any events are using the gardens, and, when the summer bedding comes out, we plant 6,000 tulip bulbs.” However, winter events still have to be accommodated with an uphill struggle to renovate lawns after November’s Frost Fair. With two years under his belt as head gardener, Mark has got to grips with the
There are some 1200 acres of amenity and commercial woodland on the estate 112 PC October/November 2018
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