Trustees

I joined as a trustee in January 2022 and my particular focus, as a retired chartered surveyor, will be the buildings. I feel privileged to be able to support this amazing place as a trustee. I am a keen amateur gardener and live on the edge of Dartmoor near Yelverton. My interests include bee keeping and wild flowering, running and hiking on the moor and exploring various parts of the country including Spain in our campervan.

My partner (who was named after Katharine Fortescue) & I moved back to Devon from Somerset in 2015. We were already regular visitors to The Garden House as friends of the previous head gardener Matt Bishop, who developed the wonderful snowdrop collection. 

I have been a trustee at The Garden House since June 2019, with some special responsibility for marketing and communications.  My day job is at Riverford, which grows and sells organic veg throughout the country.  I am Devon born and bred, now based back on the farm near Totnes where I started, along with my four siblings.  My mother was an avid gardener, and The Garden House was her favourite garden.  Now it is mine and though I am no great shakes as a gardener, I do love working alongside the horticultural trustees, hearing what is going on, and learning the odd thing to try to apply at home.  Gardens are places of such hope and optimism – if something does not quite work out this season, there is always another one coming along. 

I did an engineering degree and then qualified as an accountant. My career has been in construction, social housing and economic development working for a range of private sector and public organisations. I joined as a Trustee in January 2024 and see my role, alongside the other Trustees, as supporting the staff and volunteers who are the ones who make The Garden House what it is, a treasured resource to so many gardeners and horticulturists (including my partner Gillian who is RHS qualified). We have our own 2 acre garden on the banks of the Lyner river in Saltash but my role there is confined to grass cutting, weeding and a bit of hard landscaping.

I became a trustee for The Garden House in October 2026. I am currently Garden Supervisor at Buckland Abbey having been with the National Trust for 13 years. After completing a Foundation Degree in Horticulture at Bicton College in 2012, I became a trainee gardener at National Trust Knightshayes in Mid-Devon and worked my way up in the gardens there before moving down to Buckland in 2021.
I have always loved gardens and gardening since working on the family allotment when I was young, and I vividly remember my first visit to the Garden House and being blown away by the colours, the textures and the overall scale of the massed plantings through the summer garden. The contrast with the formality of the walled garden and the clipped lawns and shrubs around the house make for an inspiring garden visit! I am also a keen ‘Galanthophile’, and the annual Snowdrop festival is a must visit throughout February.
I am really privileged to now be on the board of trustees and very excited to work with the team to take the gardens forward and continue to fulfil the objectives of the Fortescue Gardens Trust.

I retired from a career with the National Trust in 2006, having held a senior management role in membership development and customer service delivery across Wales and the south of England.

Living within a mile of The Garden House, it’s my privilege to have been continuously involved with the charity since retirement. Volunteering in any capacity is immensely rewarding, and to spend some hands-on time with the Visitor Welcome team at the Gate has always been important to me – not least because of the pleasure derived from being able to share the story of this horticultural gem with our visitors.

I am proud to have had a responsibility for the inauguration of the Friends of The Garden House scheme in 2006, and to have led the 2011 Golden Jubilee Fundraising Appeal for the creation of the Jubilee Arboretum.

As a board member of the Fortescue Garden Trust, my interest continues to be in supporter development.

When I moved to Buckland Monachorum I was amazed and delighted to find we had one of the most beautiful gardens in England right on out doorstep.

As a regular visitor I’ve come to understand the huge effort and expertise required to keep the garden looking spectacular in every season.

I love seeing how the horticultural team work with nature to overcome the challenges of our unpredictable weather.

My own gardening experience has been slowly gained over four decades living in Yorkshire, London, the Midlands and now Devon. It has taught me to have huge respect for those who have the vision and skills to turn a patch of earth into a beautiful garden – and keep it looking good.

My career is in journalism and public relations – concentrating on farming and the countryside. I joined he trustees in 2024 and help The Garden House team spread the message about the garden and its horticultural education work through its own communications, social media and the print and broadcast media

I joined the Garden House as a Trustee in 2024. Having lived in the area for 8 years, I was amazed at how fortunate we were to have such a lovely garden and facility in the area. The Garden House is a national treasure on our doorstep, providing the community with a natural space to admire and enjoy in a peaceful environment.

With a background in Human Resources Management, I have always had an interest in helping individuals reach their potential, along with developing and facilitating teamwork. In addition, I am also a Director and Trustee on the Boards of several other charities and social enterprises.

At The Garden House, I cannot claim any horticulture expertise compared to the experts we already have; however, my interest is in helping the overall running of the Charity and providing assistance to the team in any way to ensure an excellent visitor experience. I have even been known to act as the car park attendant on busy days!

As a trustee, it has been a privilege to get to know the team at The Garden House who help make it such a special place. It really is a team effort from both the employees and our volunteers to help make The Garden House such a wonderful space.

NIGEL BURNETT
Commercial Trustee

I retired in June 2023 from the role of Director/CEO of Trebah Garden, after 18 very challenging and rewarding years there.
I became a trustee here in October 2026 and also agreed to act as Chair of its Garden Committee, to help coordinate and take forward future plans and developments.
Prior to my role at Trebah, I was MD of the Godolphin Company, which managed the business interests of the St Aubyn Family in West Cornwall, including acting as Lord St Levan’s Agent managing St Michael’s Mount on behalf of the family and the National Trust.
I had previously a 27 years career with Barclays Bank PLC in business/ corporate banking, at the time of leaving I was Head of Corporate Business, West Cornwall.
I hope to compliment the wide skills within the current board of trustees and to support our enthusiastic staff, with my experience of running 2 highly regarded and award- winning attractions and my general commercial and financial skills and experience.
My wife and I reside at the northern edge of Plymouth and have been and are frequent visitors to this wonderful garden of horticultural significance and standing.
It is a privilege to be involved.