A Sheffield JCB dealer gave tonnes of support to help Wentworth Woodhouse get gardens ready for its snowdrop walks this weekend (February 6).
While the Grade I listed mansion in Rotherham has been closed for many months, its acres of private gardens have been providing a lifeline.
They are bringing in income for the Preservation Trust regenerating the Mansion, and giving local people a beautiful space for fresh air and exercise during the pandemic.
Now carpeted in snowdrops, the gardens are expected to be especially popular and will be open every day from February 6 to 28.
But wintry weather had taken its toll. Pathways had become overgrown and slippery and needed restoring.
The Trust’s Operations Manager Ian Taylor said: “Our garden paths had become overgrown before the Trust took ownership and had got even worse over the winter. We needed to make them safe again before our snowdrop season got underway.”
When the Chapeltown headquarters of TC Harrison JCB heard of the problem, it immediately stepped in to help the Trust’s gardeners Scott Jamieson and Andy Smith make light work of the task.
The gardens closed for two weeks in late January and TC Harrison JCB’s eco-friendly 1.5 tonne digger rolled in.
The company, which deals in new and used JCB sales, servicing and parts, is one of the largest JCB specialists in the UK and has been in business for over 50 years.
Said the company’s joint MD Robert Wilson: “Wentworth Woodhouse is just 10 minutes from our Chapeltown HQ and we have a strong relationship with its Preservation Trust.
“We didn’t hesitate when Ian reached out to us to see if we had a machine capable of tackling delicate maintenance work to the historic pathways leading through the gardens.
“A task in gardens that have been maintained since the 18th century was literally a breath of fresh air for the landscaping team.”
