Gardener

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Exeter; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Free entry to NT places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance 32 days

Job summary

National Trust is seeking a Gardener to maintain Castle Drogo’s gardens in Devon. The role covers day-to-day upkeep, pruning, weeding and safe operation of machinery, with opportunities to work across other NT garden sites and contribute to visitor experiences.

You will join a supportive team, with training opportunities and a focus on biodiversity and sustainable gardening practices within a heritage setting.

Qualifications

• Enthusiastic horticulturist with hands-on gardening experience, including hard landscaping.
• Experience using garden machinery and maintaining garden spaces.
• Willingness to engage with visitors and volunteers in a heritage setting.

Responsibilities

• Keep Castle Drogo garden in tiptop condition daily, perform weeding, pruning and routine tasks.
• Operate hedge cutters, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and tractors as part of garden upkeep.
• Support propagation, tree safety work and redevelopment of garden areas.
• Work with the garden team and volunteers to maintain biodiversity and sustainability.

Skills

Hands-on gardening

Machinery operation

Plant knowledge

Driver's license

Team player

Public engagement

Education

RHS level 2 or above

Tools

Tractors

Chainsaws

Rotary lawnmowers

Cylinder mowers

Job description

As a Gardener for the National Trust, you’ll be a hands-on member of the garden team, involved in every aspect of gardening at Castle Drogo in Devon, EX6 6PB. Responsible for day-to-day maintenance, and the highest standards of horticulture, you’ll also play a vital role in improving the experience of visitors to the garden and wider estate.

Salary: £27,612 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours / working pattern: Full-time 37.5 hours per week. The role will require you to work weekends on a rota, and occasional bank holidays and evenings.

What it's like to work here

A supportive, welcoming and friendly established team, you’ll get to know the departments that make up the Dartmoor Property Group, who manage and welcome our visitors to the pay for entry and open access sites.

In addition to Castle Drogo gardens’ you’ll have the opportunity from time to time, to work in our other gardens – Parke Walled Kitchen Garden, Bovey Tracey – a space jointly run by the National Trust and a local allotmenteer group, and Finch Foundry garden, a cottage garden attached to the Foundry in Sticklepath, near Okehampton.

There will be opportunities for continued professional development. This may be LANTRA training, or through workshops and skills sharing and external training days, or seminars.

What you'll be doing

You'll be helping to keep the garden at Castle Drogo in tiptop condition every day. This might involve daily checks to make sure all areas are safe for people visiting, routine tasks such as weeding and pruning, and using machinery such as hedge cutters, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and tractors.

Other duties might include propagation, tree safety work and supporting the team to redevelop areas. You may be involved in recycling and managing waste, along with the rest of the garden team.

Working in the Castle Drogo gardens, you will join a long standing team of staff and volunteers. Our garden is diverse in its planting, so you’ll have a good knowledge of a wide range of plants, their growing requirements and care. You’ll be trained in or equivalent to: RHS level 2 or above and have experience of working in a visitor facing gardening role ideally in the heritage sector. You will welcome and inspire our visitors and bring your previous gardening experience and knowledge to complement and enhance the current gardening team.

With a basic knowledge of machinery, you’ll help us service, problem solve and fix where possible, or with a willingness and aptitude to learn how to do so. You’ll undertake daily physical work such as hedge cutting, lifting and dividing herbaceous plants, planting trees and shrubs and mulching.

You’ll have a head for heights, as we regularly work from scaffold towers and henchman ladders. You’ll have an eye for detail and a pride in your work, achieving high presentation standards, which are key in the formal Lutyens’ designed garden. With good plant knowledge and weed identification.

Ideally, you’ll have an appreciation and knowledge of gardening to support a wide variety of biodiversity, from below ground soil health, to above ground flora and fauna and a willingness to learn more to support the team in undertaking sustainable, resilient gardening practices, mindful of the wider environment.

Confident in working alongside and supporting volunteers, either on your own, or as part of the wider garden team. Team worker and independent, under the direction of the Head Gardener. Experienced in engaging with the public, sharing the gardens stories of the past, its current, and future.

Who we’re looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you’re:

• an enthusiastic horticulturist and hands-on gardener, who’s worked with hard landscaping before
• knowledgeable about plants, with a great eye for detail.
• experienced with machinery, including tractors, chainsaws, rotary and cylinder mowers, and with some knowledge of maintenance
• a driver with a full licence
• able to manage a demanding outdoor role
• good at talking to, and getting on with, all kinds of people
• equally confident working within a team, with volunteers or on your own
• able to keep to time, plan and meet deadlines

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton, Exeter EX6 6PB

Documents

Gardener - Career Level B.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 13th September 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.