As
Assistant Gardener , you’ll be working with a team to deliver the day-to-day care of the garden and maintain high presentation standards. This role will include a range of practical tasks to develop, improve and look after the garden and contribute to the delivery of projects.
Salary: £25,837.50 per annum
Contract Duration: Fixed term until 30th June 2028
Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week. You will work Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:40pm, with weekend working on a rota basis during the winter.
This role is required to work with vulnerable groups including children and any offer of employment or volunteering is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
For this role, you’ll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information on the role.
What it's like to work here:You will join a team of 10 gardeners, reporting to the Head Gardener. The Assistant Gardener will support the team across the site, carrying out tasks such as grass cutting, strimming, leaf clearance, hedge cutting and tree work.
Providing an excellent visitor experience and caring for this special place is central to our work. From welcoming visitors to maintaining landscapes and supporting wildlife, every role helps preserve its nature, beauty and history.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is one of 1,248 UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide. Set within the stunning Nidderdale National Landscape near Ripon, it is an iconic estate in the North of England. This unique site brings together two periods of history, where medieval heritage meets 18th-century design to create a landscape rich in beauty, intrigue and sweeping views.
The River Skell runs through an 800-acre estate full of contrast. The abbey ruins reflect 400 years of monastic life, from prosperity to dissolution under Henry VIII. Studley Royal Water Garden, with its elegant canals, follies and striking features, represents Georgian design at its finest, incorporating the abbey ruins into its layout.
Alongside a deer park, Cistercian mill, Victorian church and Elizabethan-style manor house, it’s easy to see why the estate is one of the National Trust’s most popular sites.
What you'll be doing:Daily responsibilities may include assisting with the planting and maintaining of shrub and borders, mulching, hedge cutting and lawn mowing. You’ll work alongside gardeners and a team of volunteers. You’ll talk to the public every day, answering a variety of garden-related questions and talking about what you are doing with pride. We’re looking for someone with a practical approach to work, getting the day-to-day work done and an interest in plants. The role can sometimes be physically challenging, and we use a wide range of machinery and equipment to help us get our work done. The use of machinery such as tractors, hedge trimmers and pedestrian mowers is essential, but training will be provided.
You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all of the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role.
Who we're looking forWe'd love to hear from you if you're
- comfortable working in a flexible and adaptable way
- a team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative
- focused on giving great service to everyone you meet
- willing to learn new skills
- focused on detail
- well organised approach
The packageThe National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.
- Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
- Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
- Rental deposit loan scheme
- EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
- Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
- Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
- Flexible working whenever possible
- Employee assistance programme
- Free parking at most Trust places
Requirements :Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK
Fixed Term f/t (37.5 hrs pw to 30/06/28)
