National Trust Barrington Court's gardener retires after 44 years

Christine Brain said she will "miss the team of fantastic gardeners"

A head gardener who is retiring after 44 years at the same National Trust estate said "working in such a beautiful setting has been a great privilege".

Christine Brain joined the team at Barrington Court, near Ilminster, in Somerset, as an apprentice in 1978.

A National Trust spokesman said Ms Brain had had a "monumental" impact on the gardens.

Gifted in 1907, Barrington Court is one of the trust's earliest acquisitions.

Attached to the village of Barrington, it is a Tudor manor house that was built in the late 1550s.

Ms Brain said there has been a lot of changes made to Barrington Court over the past century

Talking of her horticultural passion, Ms Brain said: "I became interested in gardening when my parents bought a new house with a builder's rubble garden- It was really make or break."

She said the visit of the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, in 2007, to celebrate 100 years since the trust's acquisition of the house was the "most memorable event" of her career.

"It was a perfect sunny day and then there was a thunderstorm overnight, so it was perfect," she said.

Ms Brain said there has been a lot of changes at Barrington Court, with climate change making a difference to how and when they plant flowers.

Barrington Court was acquired by the National trust in 1907

Visitor numbers have also seen "a dramatic increase", with the latest count at around 125,000 a year, she said.

"Barrington Court is a special place and one of my favourite things about the garden is the peace and quiet, it has a wonderful atmosphere," said Ms Brain.

"Each part of the garden is special in its own way, where each season brings changes and no two years are the same."

A spokesperson for the National Trust added: "Under Ms Brain's leadership, the care of the garden has continued to pay homage to the 1920s design and structure."