Belsay Hall was constructed in the early 1800s by a man called Sir Charles Monck.
He was a very well educated, very well read man, extremely well travelled
and he gained inspiration from lots of different fields
to create the lovely gardens that we see today.
We're a Grade 1 listed garden.
Part of my role as Head Gardener is really to maintain the original vision Sir Charles Monck had.
I manage a team of eight gardeners, plus volunteers.
We're fortunate enough to have very accurate historic records
and then on the back of that we've produced a very detailed
conservation management plan which we follow very, very carefully.
My favourite section is the East Quarry.
There's nowhere else like it in the UK.
It's got a huge amount of character to it.
It's got a fabulous historic plant collection.
The stone which you see in the hall was quarried directly from the East Quarry.
This archway here was inspired by Charles Monck's visits
to the quarries of Syracuse in Sicily, a very, very special place.
There's a fabulous specimen of a Douglas fir, it was planted in 1832 so it's actually one
of the oldest and largest in the UK. It's a really special treat at Belsay.
The gardens vary so much through the year.
During the springtime we have lots of blooms,
and then through the summer we've got a spectacular collection of historic
rhododendrons built up over quite a number of generations.
The summer months are peak growing season so really
we're trying to keep up with all the weeds
and the lawns and the general maintenance of the garden.
During the autumn, fabulous colours from the trees,
it's just as interesting in the winter as is in the summer.
We're actually busy right the way through the year.
I think lots of people think that in the wintertime gardeners aren't quite as busy
but we're just as busy in the winter as we are the summer months.
It's just a very different type of work.
We do a huge amount of pruning, mulching of beds, really tidying the garden up
making sure it's spic and span for our visitors.
We do a lot of project work.
It's just our opportunity to get our teeth stuck into the really big meaty jobs.
Although there is a certain degree of flexibility involved we have to
manage it quite rigidly to that original image which Sir Charles Monck had
and although the role of Head Gardener is an important one,
I have to remember that I'm merely the caretaker.
It's not my garden.