The past
Our HistoryEarly History
Early HistoryTHE ‘DAISY’ YEARS 1865-1938
The "Daisy" YearsHarold Peto's Role
Harold PetoEarly 20th Century Easton Lodge
1900 - 1938After Daisy 1939-1950
1939-19501950 - 2010
1950 -19711971 - 2008
1971 - 20082010 & Beyond
2009 & Beyond
Behind the scenes
About The TrustOur Aims & Vision
Aims & VisionOur Team
Our TeamOur Details
Our DetailsFundraising
FundraisingGarden Ownership
Garden Ownership
A guide
Visit UsPractical Information
InformationPhoto Gallery
PhotosArt in the Garden
Garden ArtMap Tour
Map Tour
Our diary
Follow UsJoin us
Support UsBecome a friend
Become a friendBecome a Volunteer
Become a VolunteerMake a Donation
Make a Donation
Who We Are
Gwen Blackshaw - Trustee
Retired Head Teacher Gwen Blackshaw is our newest Trustee and brings a wealth of educational and organisational knowledge as well as tons of hands on enthusiasm to the team. Although relatively new to the area she and her husband Neil have become heavily involved in the local community and the gardens in particular. Gwen also enjoys art history, opera and football!
James Boutwood - Trustee
James Boutwood is an architect in private practise specialising in work on vernacular buildings and small country houses throughout East Anglia. His work at Easton Lodge has included the restoration of the garden pavilion and plans for the reinstatement of the tree house. He is a director of the Thaxted Music Festival and actively involved with a number of other bodies and advisory committees including the SPAB, Chelmsford Cathedral Fabric Advisory Committee, the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden and Thaxted Church Trust. He has lived locally for over 40 years.
Gillian Darley, BA (Hons) History of Art, MSc in Politics and Administration, FSA - Trustee
Gillian Darley is a writer and broadcaster, born on the Essex-Suffolk borders. She was the Director of the Landscape Foundation, a charity set up by Geoffrey Jellicoe, in the mid 1990s. Her books include Villages of Vision and biographies of Octavia Hill, John Soane and John Evelyn. She is a Trustee of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and sits as SPAB nominated Council member of the National Trust. She is a member of the London Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Catherine Dean - Trustee
Catherine Dean has visited the Gardens since they were open to the public, and has admired the transformation achieved by Diana and Brian Creasey. As a former teacher, Catherine is particularly keen to be involved with educational projects involving local schools and would also like to encourage greater participation in the Gardens by the local community. For several years Catherine was an Uttlesford District councillor believing that one of her roles was to preserve the heritage of the area for its 21st century residents.
Jeremy Garnett, MA, FRICS - Trustee
Jeremy Garnett is a Chartered Surveyor having retired in 2002 from Cushman and Wakefield, the international surveying practice, where he was managing partner. He is currently a non-executive director of a private property investment company. He is Chairman of the Professional Gardeners Guild Trust, a charity which provides training grants to working gardeners. He is undertaking an MA in Garden History at Birkbeck College and is a member of the Garden History Society with a particular interest in 19th and 20th century gardens.
Robin Whalley, BA (Cantab), MSc (London) - Chair of Trustees
Robin Whalley is a well-known authority on Victorian and Edwardian gardens and has made the work of Harold Peto a key area of research. His book The Great Edwardian Gardens of Harold Peto was published in 2007 and numerous articles by him on Peto have appeared over the years. He was awarded a fellowship from Harvard University to study at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC in 1994 and was a consultant at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, and is a part-time lecturer at Cardiff and Bristol Universities. He regularly organises and leads garden tours and lectures widely on his subject. He is the co-author of Knot Garden and Parterres and contributes to many magazines.
