Walmer Castle

Trainees based at Walmer work across all aspects of our site, gaining experience in a very varied and diverse historical garden.

Walmer Castle, situated on the English Channel coast, is a well-maintained garden of 10 acres within a 28 acre estate and is registered as Grade II listed. The Tudor era castle is the home of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and many historic figures of national importance have lived in the Castle, some of whom have had a direct influence on the design of the gardens. The gardens have been developed between c.1790 and the present day, and include decorative shrub borders, a woodland walk, chalk wildflower meadow, formal bedding, croquet lawn, a working kitchen, orchard and cutting garden, decorative glasshouses  and a double herbaceous border flanked by a mature cloud hedge. There is also the formal Queen Mother’s Garden, designed by Penelope Hobhouse and presented to Her Majesty to mark her Birthday in 1997.

2019 saw the completion of a project to revive the Woodland and Paddock landscape garden, re-open the Glen quarry garden, and introduce a woodland play trail and new café. The trainee has an important role to support the maintenance of the revitalised areas.

Placement opportunity: 1 year

Staff numbers: 6 full-time gardeners, 1 trainee and more than 35 volunteers

Ease of access: The nearest train station is Walmer, 15 minutes’ walk away and served by the High Speed rail service from London St Pancras. Local bus services from Deal alight opposite the Castle, and there is a bike route running along the sea front to Deal, Sandwich and Ramsgate.

Walmer has some local shops, but is one mile south of Deal, which has banks, supermarkets and other amenities.

Accommodation: No dedicated accommodation available.