Holker Hall has reopened to the public with plans for a packed season and two key new appointments to its team.
Matthew Murgatroyd has taken over as Head Gardener, fresh from his previous role as Deputy Head of Gardens at Highgrove, the private residence of King Charles and the Queen Consort.
And Fran Horne, former Museum and Tour manager at Manchester United, is the new Head of Visitor Services.
Holker Hall and Gardens near Cartmel in Cumbria opened to the public on March 10 and remains open until December 17.
“We are really enjoying seeing people and welcoming them back after what feels like a long winter,” said Fran.
“We have new developments this year including an activity-packed festival in August hosted by Steve Cram focussing on living well.
“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 took up the reins as Museum, Tour and Red Café manager at Manchester United – a “fast paced and exciting” role overseeing huge visitor numbers.
She was contacted by Holker Hall offering her new post.
“I would have been crazy not to take it,” she says. “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.”
Holker’s other major appointment is gardening royalty – Matthew Murgatroyd has taken over as the new head gardener after 12 years at Highgrove.
Matthew 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.
“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,” he says.
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 fine-tuned 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.”
Holker Hall has recently launched a new website.
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 – 13 with athletes Paula Radcliffe, Chris Thompson and Steve Backley attending.
Holker’s popular Courtyard Café has been redecorated and has a refreshed menu, and new items have been introduced at the gift shop where visitors will now be able to buy plants they can see in the grounds.
Season highlights will include the hugely popular Spring Fayre and dog show on April 29 – 30 and a Midsummer Garden Tour with fizz hosted by Matthew on June 21.
There is a new Holker Hall app taking a light-hearted look at the stories behind paintings and artefacts in the house.
There will be Easter egg hunts, Father’s Day Ploughman’s and a Pint, plus music, and the Bess & Barrel pop-up pub will open again through July and August.
Find out more at www.holker.co.uk
