A historic Wiltshire garden has kicked off its 2025 corporate season with a visit from the National Trust.
Bothy Gardens, a Grade II-listed Georgian walled garden on the edge of the Burderop estate at Chiseldon near Swindon, welcomed Europe’s largest conservation charity for a day of training and team building.
Owners Jules Gilleland and Mark Wheeler have transformed the site, taken over in 2021, into a hub of creativity and conservation.
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It now features a restored Victorian greenhouse, rare plant nurseries, a garden library, and an Efford sand bed system, a Victorian irrigation method.
This setting served as the backdrop for the National Trust’s training day, which featured workshops on climate resilience, soil regeneration, and conservation.
Speakers included Sheila Das, head of gardens and parks, and other National Trust specialists.
Mr Wheeler led an afternoon tour of the garden to show the site’s blend of history and innovation.
Mr Wheeler said: “Bothy Gardens is a passion and vocation for me and Jules.
“To see the beautiful gardens used for so many different events is astounding.
“Whether we host a volunteer day, a community open day, or a corporate event, seeing the place come to life is exhilarating.
“It feels like we’re honouring the history of the space.”
The day’s activities took place in a new 25-metre polytunnel called ‘Thomas’s Tunnel,’ named in honour of Mr Wheeler’s father.
This is a nod to the garden’s past when coal-fired furnaces kept the walled garden warm for exotic fruit cultivation.
Today, it is a centre of conservation and collaboration.
Ms Gilleland said: “Hosting the National Trust felt like the perfect way to start our season.
“For us, it’s not just about growing plants, it’s about growing ideas, skills, and connections.”
Bothy Gardens is now open for bookings for its Living Lab programme, offering businesses the chance to connect with nature, history, and each other.
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The 60-person classroom is in planning.
Historic walled gardens like Bothy can be up to 5°C warmer than the surrounding environment, creating microclimates that once allowed the cultivation of exotic fruits like figs, apricots, and pineapples.
Ms Gilleland and Mr Wheeler hope to continue the legacy of the space while making it a hub for creativity, conservation, and education.
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