Snapshot of life working as Holkham’s head gardener

Show me a more quintessentially British rural scne than this says Dene Wood, capturing another beautiful scene on the estate. Pic: Dene Wood.

Dene Wood, 39, is in charge of a team of nine faced with the mammoth task of overseeing 3,000 acres of parkland and formal gardens at the magnificent visitor attraction.

His real passion is growing produce in the six-acre walled garden – and apparently the Jerusalem artichokes are a firm favourite with the hall's owner, Thomas Coke. the 8th Earl of Leicester.

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'I'm a veg man, I love growing food,' said Dene, who comes from Rotherham. 'I have loved growing food and taking it up to the hall. Lord Leicester really likes Jerusalem artichokes, and I'm sure he's happy to feed esteemed guests with the produce I have grown. He also likes the tops of broad beans, the leaf part.'

Dene Wood, head gardener at Holkham Hall. Pic: Holkham Hall.

Married with a son, Dene is leaving Holkham to go to a Clumber Park, a National Trust country park in Nottinghamshire to be closer to relatives.

But while working at Holkham Hall, he's captured images throughout the seasons.

He actually came into gardening later in life, aged 30, originally studying IT. 'I got disillusioned with working behind a desk all the time and like many other people, wanted a simpler life,' he said.

So in his spare time he studied to take his RHS, Royal Horticultural Society, diplomas and was lucky to get on to a Lottery funded scheme to train at Chatsworth House, a stately home in Derbyshire.

Showing off the fabulous lawns at the hall. Pic: Dene Wood.

'It was a real baptism of fire, I'd only managed an allotment and done some grass cutting for the council,' he said. From there he was lucky to be asked to apply for the job at Holkham Hall.

'I did think 'wow it's big' when I arrived at Holkham,' he said. He believes organisation has been the key and a good team, boosted by volunteers, which he has helped increase in numbers to more than 60.

And he really does mow the lawns. 'We have a ride on mower which is 2.5ms wide, it's our biggest but we also have really small ones for edgings. We mow 20 linear miles on the ride-on mower and then have 28.5 square miles of big lawns and 6.5 square miles of lawns which need a pedestrian mower.

'We also need to look at lawn care so we have scarifiers, aerators, rollers, rotivators and even a mini digger.'

The 100m hazel arch on the centre path in the veg garden, a 'dress rehearsal' for a steel one in a couple of years. Pic: Dene Wood.

He's also been instrumental in a 'mass planting' of 1,000 blue geraniums at the hall and involved in plans to refurbish a historic building to link the current vinery and walled garden. 'I'm proud of what I've set in motion,' he said.

Cutting and lifting 1500 metres square of tuf with his team at the hall. Pic: Dene Wood.

Showing the difference last summer on the lawns before and after some much needed rain. Pic: Dene Wood.

Seeing the sun rise on the estate. Pic: Dene Wood.

Looking after the parterre garden at Holkham Hall. Pic: Dene Wood.