Gardener / Groundsperson

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for three hands on Gardener / Groundspersons to maintain the horticultural features of a beautiful private estate near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. This is a full time, permanent position offering the chance to work within a diverse and well established garden.

The 550 acre estate is predominantly grazed land, with approximately 50 acres surrounding the main house dedicated to formal gardens and pleasure grounds that require ongoing attention from the gardening team. The gardens feature a formal terrace with parterres, extensive lawns, and mature specimen trees including copper beech, oak, yew, and cedar. There are ornamental shrubs, woodland areas, fishponds, water features, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. The estate also benefits from a walled kitchen garden, currently ornamental but with scope for productive restoration, as well as two greenhouses used for propagation and vegetable growing.

The successful candidates will be part of a team reporting to the Estate Manager responsible for maintaining the gardens and undertaking all associated horticultural tasks to a consistently high professional standard. The role includes supporting the Estate Manager with planting programmes to ensure seasonal interest throughout the borders, as well as contributing to the preparation and implementation of annual maintenance schedules for borders, trees, and lawns.

Duties will vary daily and will include assisting with planting schemes to maintain year round seasonal interest and monitoring the health and presentation of extensive herbaceous borders through pruning, staking, feeding, and spraying where appropriate. The role involves comprehensive lawn care, including irrigating, reseeding, fertilising, and scarifying. The Gardener will carry out a full range of practical horticultural tasks such as weeding, digging, forking, mulching, watering, raking, edging, pruning, bed preparation, planting, and hedge cutting. The use of hand tools and light machinery is essential, including mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters, chainsaws, and leaf blowers.

The Gardener will be required to assist with duties across the wider estate, particularly in the winter months. All tools and equipment must be kept clean and in good working order, with any defects reported promptly to the Estate Manager. Strict adherence to Health and Safety at Work legislation is essential at all times. Any defects, hazards, or security risks identified on the estate must be reported immediately. Spray certificates PA1 / PA6 and chainsaw ticket would be advantageous or the willingness to obtain as training can be provided. A driving licence is required due to the location of the property.

SALARY: up to £35,000 DOE LOCATION: Near Chipping Norton JOB No: EC71486

If this vacancy is of interest, please apply below, call Sara Yassin on or email

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Thank you for the interest you have shown in this 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.

Affiliations

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