• Contact us
  • Advertise with us
  • Cumbria Crack app
  • About us
Monday, July 21, 2025
cumbriacrack.com
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
cumbriacrack.com
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Ex-royal gardener takes the reins at Holker Hall

by Cumbria Crack
27/03/2023
in News
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Fran Horne and Matthew Murgatroyd

A former royal gardener has taken the reins at Holker Hall.

Matthew Murgatroyd has taken over as head gardener at the venue near Cartmel, fresh from his previous role as deputy head of gardens at Highgrove, the private residence of King Charles and the Queen Consort.

He spent 12 years at Highgrove and arrived at Holker at the end of last season and is in charge of the estate’s 25 acre garden, developed by the Cavendish family since the 1600s.

He said: “What’s really exciting for me is that Holker is a spring garden and I’m getting to see what’s coming up, and the bulbs popping up everywhere. The Rhododendrons and Magnolias will soon be coming into flower. It’s going to start with a bang.

Matthew, originally from Levens, volunteered in the gardens at Levens Hall as a schoolboy where he went on to complete his apprenticeship. After a stint at Sizergh Castle he was offered a post as gardener at Highgrove where he worked his way up the ranks to deputy head of gardens.

Throughout his 12 years at Highgrove, he regularly met and worked closely with King Charles. Matthew has a keen eye for topiary, a skill he originally learned at Levens Hall, but finetuned while working at Highgrove as well as other royal residences including Birkhall on the Balmoral estate and Clarence House in London.

He hopes to refurbish Holker’s cascade and has already overseen the planting of an avenue of mature whitebeam trees.

He says: “Whitebeams are a signature plant for Holker. It will be exciting to see them come into leaf; they have lovely silvery foliage and clusters of creamy white flowers in spring.

“Holker is a garden where people are free to roam around, there aren’t the restrictions you find elsewhere. It is such a magnificent garden in spring, this is the time to come and explore.”

Fran Horne, former museum and tour manager at Manchester United, is the new head of visitor services at Holker.

She said: “We are really enjoying seeing people and welcoming them back after what feels like a long winter.

“We will concentrate on what Holker is really good at, which is looking after visitors, great food and drink, a wonderful place and lots to entertain the family.”

Fran moved to Cartmel eight years ago when she was co-owner of Cartmel Cheeses. She had previously worked at the renowned artisan cheese business Neal’s Yard Dairy at London’s Borough Market.

In 2019 she was racing and leisure operations manager at Cartmel Racecourse. Then she joined Manchester United as museum, tour and red café manager. She was contacted by Holker Hall offering her new post.

She said: “I would have been crazy not to take it. It was lovely to come back. Holker is special. The landscape is amazing, and it has a lovely welcoming and friendly atmosphere that we want to extend to everyone. I want to make people feel we are here for them.”

New initiatives include the Wild Goat Festival run by sports legend Steve Cram, with family fun, trail runs, cycle routes, music and food and camping on the estate. It will take place from August 11 to August 13 with athletes Paula Radcliffe, Chris Thompson and Steve Backley attending.

Previous Post

Missing 57-year-old from Whitehaven found

Next Post

Workington Town coach praises his side’s work ethic

Have you read?

Sara Davis’ Bafta dress sensation finds home in Cumbria
News

Sara Davis’ Bafta dress sensation finds home in Cumbria

20/07/2025
Vehicle owners urged to take care after early hours incident
News

71-year-old man from Carlisle found

20/07/2025
High-value power tools stolen from vehicle
News

Search for vehicle after Carlisle car park collision

20/07/2025
Seriously injured Lake District walker airlifted to hospital after fall
News

Seriously injured Lake District walker airlifted to hospital after fall

20/07/2025
Appeal for missing 14-year-old
News

Appeal for missing 14-year-old

20/07/2025
19 flood alerts in place as Met Office issues updated weather warnings
News

Rain and thunderstorms warnings for Cumbria

20/07/2025

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Send a sport report
  • Get our app
  • Advertise with us
  • About us

Follow us on

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

© Barrnon Media Limited 2023

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy
This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.