Trentham Estate

The Trentham Estate is an award-winning gardens covering in total 725 acres with a 50 acre formal garden, a mile long Brownian lake and surrounding woodland with modern perennial meadow walks. It’s a historically significant garden and parkland with a rich horticultural legacy.

Trentham is currently undergoing a series of exciting horticultural projects. Collaborating with key stakeholders like Tom Stuart-Smith, David Austin Roses and Professor Nigel Dunnett, Trentham is further investing in and developing new plantings whilst refreshing existing schemes, all with innovation, sustainability and climate resilience in mind. The trainee at Trentham will have the opportunity to play a part in these exciting new projects.

The main Gardens, as well as the Gardens team, are currently split into four-character areas, The Italian Garden, The Eastern Pleasure Garden, The Western Pleasure Grounds and the Lakeside. In addition to this, there is a Shopping Village with seasonal and permanent planting schemes. The Italian Garden has original architectural features as well as a modern perennial planting scheme. To the East are original trees from the Georgian period, and the modern additions of the Rivers of Grass and the adjacent Floral Labyrinth, both designed by Piet Oudolf. To the West there are unusual specimens of mature trees, as well as small model gardens designed in a range of styles and themes including a potager, a sensory garden and a wildlife garden.

The 10-acre lower Parterre of the Italian Garden is currently the subject of a transformative project in partnership with Tom Stuart-Smith, revisiting his original Italian Gardens design. This project will be implemented over the next few years. New planting schemes across the Gardens are also being developed by the in-house Gardens Team. Around the lakeside, we are continuing our collaboration with Professor Nigel Dunnett with a new planting scheme due to be planted 2025/26.

The trainee at Trentham will experience a wide range of horticultural tasks and as a result will establish a broad horticultural skill base. They will gain experience of working with new and historical planting schemes, as well as pest and disease management, border, path, lawn and hedge maintenance. Once trained and assessed, the trainee will also gain experience using site vehicles, machinery and equipment.

Placements available: One

Staff numbers: 11 full-time horticulturalists, 1 HBGTP trainee and volunteers

Ease of access: Trentham Estate is located 4 miles south of Stoke-on-Trent. There is a bus stop a short walk from Trentham with buses running from Hanley and Stafford via Newcastle-under-Lyme. The closest major train station is Stoke-on-Trent and buses run from Hanley (City Centre) directly to Trentham.  Further details are available on the Trentham Estate website.

Accommodation: No dedicated accommodation available.