As our ground-breaking Rising developments gather pace, we have welcomed a host of new team members to Raby including new Head Gardener Tim Marshall. Tim will be working alongside World-class Italian garden designer, Luciano Giubbilei and Landscape Architect, Alistair Baldwin to bring our Walled Garden vision to life. We caught up with Tim to find out about his background and how he plans to approach this exciting project.
Where did you career take you before joining Raby?
I have been working in horticulture for the last 27 years, 23 of those years as a head gardener. I started my career at Scampston Hall in North Yorkshire where I worked with the international garden designer, Piet Oudolf transforming the walled garden. After Scampston I moved to North Norfolk where I worked on the Holkham Estate, initially as the head gardener but was later promoted to the position of landscape manager which also included the management of the forestry. I left Holkham to work with Tom Stuart-Smith on a project in the Thames Valley, just outside Henley on Thames. On completion of this project I was asked to work in Jordan with Arne Maynard to help regenerate the private gardens of the King and Queen. After a number of years I returned back to the UK to work for the Bamford family on the Daylesford Estate as the garden manager. Following this I was asked to lead a large horticultural project on the Island of Nevis in the Caribbean, designed by Arne Maynard. After a number of years in the Caribbean I decided with my family that we wanted to head back to the UK for a stable life and to enrol my daughter in the educational system. Though before this was possible, I was requested once again to return to Jordan to help with a very large landscape installation in the South of the country. After a year working on this project, I took up the opportunity to move back to the UK and start an exciting position on the Raby Estate.
(c) Peter Gunton
Which of your skills do you feel will be most valuable in the Gardens renovation?
I am a self-confessed plantaholic, which I feel will come in handy with this project. My eye for detail is excellent, which will certainly be necessary, along with my strong management skills after many years of organising challenging workloads.
Tell us more about The Rising development and the changes throughout the gardens?
The Rising development within the gardens will involve a complete redesign of the garden areas but retaining the key historic features and some of the larger original plants for continuity. The development will bring the gardens to the pinnacle of modern design. The main walled garden areas will be designed by Luciano Giubbilei and the outer landscaped areas by Alistair Baldwin, both of which are top-level garden designers.
CGI of the Duchess’ Walk
What will your role include?
The main purpose of my role will be to interact with the construction team and designers on the new project, to ensure the design is implemented and completed as Lord and Lady Barnard envisage. Also making sure that any remaining garden areas are kept to a high specification for visitors to enjoy throughout the construction period.
Who will you be working with?
My role will transect across the whole of the estate, working with all departments at any given time. With the Rising project I will be working closely with Lord and Lady Barnard, the designers, contractors, the construction team and the in-house gardens team.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Getting stuck into the new developments and seeing the site transform into a major inspirational tourist attraction for County Durham and the North East.
Why Raby?
Raby is the best of both worlds. It is an amazing remnant of the past history of the North of England providing a time capsule of how life was, but also how diversification in the present age can be highly successful and inspiring.
Walled Gardens at Raby Castle