Victorian Kitchen Gardeners
Within Barley Wood Walled Garden there existed a social hierarchy and a traditional workforce, which was strictly adhered to.

Head Gardener
The Head Gardener was totally in command of all garden areas, the glasshouses, pleasure garden, vegetable garden and orchard. In an estate such as Barley Wood his status and pay was equal to, if not above, the Butler. The Victorian era brought with it a greater interest in scientific gardening. The idea of being able to control nature became a passion and with explorers and collectors brining back more specimens from abroad, a snobbery to have a fruit or plant your neighbours did not possess.

Head Gardeners were there to fulfill these needs of their employers, some going even further by developing new varieties to name after the family. They were also allowed to show produce, the greatest honour being to exhibit at Chelsea. For all this responsibility the Head Gardener was often regarded as an equal with his employer.

The Head Gardener did little physical labour, his main duties being to supervise and inspect the garden and hire and fire staff. Apart from the respect of his position, he was provided with a house, fuel and vegetables. The Head Gardener's house at Barley Wood is built on to the North East corner of the wall, from which he could keep watch over the kitchen gardens. The house also gives easy access to both the walled garden and glasshouses.

Foreman
The Foreman was directly responsible to the Head Gardener. On large estates there would have been a Foreman in charge of each garden department, such as Inside Men (glasshouse Foreman) or Outside Foreman. The Foreman's role was not only to supervise, but to ensure that the gardeners under them were clean and presentable and that they observed their manners and their bills were paid on time.

The Inside Foreman or the Outside Foreman would prepare, upon the Cooks orders, food and herbs for the day, or would be responsible for the plants and cut flowers arranged in the big house and particularly those set upon the dining table. On some estates, and very likely at Barley Wood, the Head Gardener many have done these jobs himself.

Journeyman
These were Gardeners who would have had several years experience in different departments of the Garden. Although not at the bottom of the hierarchy scale, they could not speak to their employer or Head Gardener unless spoken to. They were, however, entitled to their own bed space within the Bothy.

Improver Journeyman
After a couple of years as a Garden Boy, this was the first step up the 'ladder'. Often it meant a move to another garden, but as staff were regularly passed around various estates to gain experience, this was normal. They were also provided with a home of sorts. These were usually built into the north facing walls of the gardens and were called Bothies. At this stage, bedrooms had to be shared. If they were lucky, they were provided with a cleaner and cook. In return they had to have good manners, be pleasing in appearance and be prepared to learn and study gardening techniques. They usually worked a 12 hour day during the week, Saturdays were shorter and Sunday was a day of rest, so the encouraged reading and studying was difficult to fit into the day. They also had to work unpaid overtime, weekend and night duties, checking the temperature of the hot houses, the fuel for the boiler and watering various plants.

Garden Boy
The Garden Boys at the turn of the 19th Century were paid about 6 shillings a week to run errands, weed and clean staging, floors and pots, not to mention sweeping and raking, often doing this last thing at night to make sure no footprints were left. It might have been a very mundane job, but it was the beginning, and all Head Gardeners went through the same stages of learning and experience within the garden. The Garden Boys had to pay for this privilege, a premium perhaps of 2 shillings a week for the training and a beginning in an honourable profession.

Return to the history page and The story of the Restoration of a Walled Garden