Shakespeare gardener retires after 27 years

Oct 1 2010 By Sophie Cross

Sophie Cross talks to the man who helped attract millions to many a Shakespeare landmark.

With beautifully-kept lawns nestled within blooms, healthy shrubs, fragrant herbs and sixteenth-century vegetables that would not be seen in the average back yard, visitors to the five properties owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust can see they have been well cared for over the years.

Much of their lasting beauty is in large part down to the Trust’s head gardener, Barry Locke, who has retired this month after spending an impressive 27 years lovingly tending to the historic green spaces.

In his role, Barry helped develop and maintain the Stratford-upon-Avon gardens at Mary Arden’s Farm, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Hall’s Croft and Nash’s House and New Place, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

He was pivotal in a number of schemes helping to promote the attractions and ensure they remain true to their age-old roots.

Barry, 65, joined the trust in 1983, rising up through the ranks before becoming head gardener in January 1990.

He said his love of all things green stemmed back to an early age, recalling: “When I was at school in Bidford-on-Avon they used to have big gardens and I used to help grow flowers there.

“We used to have two or three gardening lessons a week.

“I left when I was 15 and went on day release to Pershore College studying horticulture.

“I looked after a large garden with greenhouses, in a village near Stratford. I was in charge of growing things like tomatoes.

“Later I applied for the job to be an assistant gardener at the Trust.

“Within a few years had been promoted to deputy head and then head gardener.