Guy’s Cliffe Walled Garden Trust      :       Email: trustees@guyscliffewalledgarden.org.uk

Thomas Dunn Birch

Thomas was head gardener at the time of the 1841 census and was still there in 1861.  He was born in Comberford near Tamworth, Staffordshire in about 1800. He and his wife Elizabeth had at least four children: George, born in c1827; William, born c1830; Mary, born c1838; and Thomas, born c1840.

By the 1861 census, Elizabeth had died (in 1854) and Mary and Thomas junior had left home.  George was living with his father and working as a labourer in the garden.  George went on to marry and move to Birmingham where he became a fruiterer.  Thomas died in Warwick in 1864, probably while he was still at Guy’s Cliffe.

 Frederick Gardner

The aptly named Fred Gardner took over from Thomas Birch.  He was head gardener at the time of the 1871 census but did not seem to have stayed very long at Guys Cliffe.  He was born in Shipston-on-Stour in about 1841.

W. Griffiths

At the moment, all we know about W. Griffiths is that he was head gardener in 1868 when the garden won prizes for various fruits and vegetables at the Warwickshire Horticultural Society annual show.

Manuel Elliott

Manuel (actually Emanuel) was one of the longest-serving and most successful of the Guy’s Cliffe gardeners.  He arrived sometime between 1871 and 1881 and, during his time, the garden won many prizes for fruit, vegetables and flowers at horticultural shows around the County.   He seems to have been at Guy’s Cliffe until about 1896.

George Worthington

George, who was born in Cheshire became head gardener in about 1896 and served for 20 years.

William John Hunt

William appears in local directories as head gardener from 1917 to 1924.

George Walter Tyler

George came from Wiltshire and was the last head gardener at Guy’s Cliffe.  He lived and worked at the gardens from 1925 until the land was sold in the late 1940s.  

The Gardeners

We have tracked down the names of seven head gardeners at Guy’s Cliffe from 1841 up to 1948.  We will add more biographical detail in the future.  In time, we will add more information about others who worked in the gardens of Guy’s Cliffe.