This is John Wainwright, he is no ordinary man. He's the Head Gardener at Holdsworth House.
Central to the maintenance team, John has worked tirelessly for over 10 years to preserve the historic gardens at the hotel for everyone to enjoy. Without doubt he's an important part of why many brides choose Holdsworth House for their wedding day, why businesses enjoy holding their events here and why sitting out front sipping afternoon tea (or a G&T) is so wonderful.
Demonstrating a wealth of knowledge, John has creatively conserved the character and history of Holdsworth House and its walled gardens through creative planting and careful restoration and maintenance.
From Hoe to Mow
The truly delightful aspect of
the garden is its variety. There are around 2 acres for John to tend,
wonderfully divided between wide lawns, deep borders, shady walkways,
huge screening trees and sunny seating areas.
You'll find something for every season, from the confetti-like pink
cherry blossom and the angelic climbing clematis to the die-hard winter holly or
the summer bedding plants, whose annual colour must be from
where fashionistas take their inspiration! But its not just planting,
there are ancient stone walls and steps to preserve, including the
immense gateway, which leads from the gravel driveway to the old manor
entrance.
Around every twist and turn there are little gems to discover and
much of the beauty of Holdsworth House is in the detail: a hidden urn, a
moss covered wall, a lamp post taken straight from the stories of
Narnia.
Land Before Time
The
gardens have been here long before John of
course! Holdsworth House was a former private manor, owned in the 19th
Century by the Wadsworth family, whom we feel sure must have been
contemporaries of the Brontes in nearby Haworth.
The two
weeping ash willow trees on the main lawn are fine examples of the
historic planting that are now under John's wing. Planted by the
Wadsworths, these rare trees thrive in the Halifax climate. When the
manor house was purchased by Freddie and Rita Pearson in the 1960s a
third weeping ash willow was imported exclusively from Italy and planted
in line with the original two in a 20th Century nod to our
predecessors.
For Better For Worse
Whilst history is
preserved wherever possible and every plant, shrub and tree receives the tender 'John treatment', not everything is as it seems. The
Valerian hedge, which forms geometric shapes in the sunken Parterre
Garden, is commonly mistaken for a Box hedge. This unruly herb prefers to run a little wild and can't be closely pruned like Box, so
takes much more effort to keep 'in trim'. Valerian was used in past
times as a herbal supplement and even as a perfume extract and
so reflects the history of the house and bygone times - so despite John's protests - it has
to stay!
When we asked John to tell us his
favourite plant in the garden, his answer was swift - the
traditional geraniums. The Johnson's Blue variety simply loves the
conditions created by John in the borders - and he's not their only fan.
The geraniums have attracted bees searching for nectar
and they seem to find it in abundance here. Along with the bees come
the birds; stand for a moment in the pretty Courtyard with your eyes
closed and you'll be treated to a chorus from a variety of species.
Many
of the plants you can see in our gardens began life as seedlings or
cuttings from John's own garden, sharing what he can to add new colour
and shape to this ever transforming landscape.
New for Old
Some fascinating varieties are introduced by John when he feels they add particular interest to the Holdsworth House story. We were pleased to hear that the Bronte Garden by Welcome to Yorkshire, which won a gold award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, incorporated the Heartsease Pansy. This dainty wild flower was captured by Charlotte Bronte in her diaries and paintings and would have been found growing freely in the countryside near Holdsworth House in the early 1800s when the Brontes lived. So now John's on the hunt in local nurseries for this delicate flower to add to our gardens too.
We're
lucky that to have a dedicated team that know the house and gardens so
intricately. We urge all our guests to take time out of busy schedules
to enjoy what Mother Nature and 'Our John' have created.
The nomination comes in a bumper year for Holdsworth House. In April the hotel received confirmation from The AA (the official star rating accreditation scheme) of an upgrade to four star status - the first and only four star hotel in Halifax. Plus we've also reached he finals of the prestigious White Rose Awards in the Small Hotel of the Year category. We're awaiting the outcome of the awards, which includes a mystery shop from at least one of the judges.
