Gardener retires as legacy ends after 220 years

Martin Gee started working at Weston Park when he was 15 years old

Retirement of an estate's head gardener after 55 years brings to an end more than 200 years of his family's legacy.

Martin Gee, aged 70, has described it as "the end of an era", having started working at Weston Park, Shifnal, in Shropshire, when he was just 15.

He is the sixth generation of the Gee family to work at the park, and said: "It has not been an easy decision, but I knew I would have to retire at some point."

Over the decades, he has won awards and worked with the likes of landscape architect Elizabeth Banks.

Mr Gee said he was incredibly proud to have achieved so much in the gardens.

"Everybody has a passion for the place – it gets under your skin," he said.

He has also overseen the restoration of the estate's grounds and 1,000 acres of parkland with a team that he describes as a family.

John Gee was the family's first generation to work at Weston Park in 1803

The Gee family arrived at Weston Park from Norfolk during King George III’s reign, just as the Napoleonic wars were starting.

In 1803, John Gee started working at the park as the family's first generation.

On Facebook, many people wished Mr Gee a truly deserved retirement and expressed their love for his guided walks.

Meanwhile, the park's chief executive Colin Sweeney, said Mr Gee had made a magnificent contribution to the gardens.

"We will miss him greatly, but his legacy will carry on for years to come in the gardens he has created," he added.