Client: Leeds Castle Foundation

Location: Maidstone, Kent

Services Provided

• Heritage Landscape Consultancy

• Woodland Management

• Tree Safety and Veteran Tree Care

• Ecological and Biodiversity Advice

• Garden and Landscape Design

• Landscape Maintenance and Contracting

• Staff Recruitment Support

The Challenge

The 1,000-acre Leeds Castle estate encompasses heritage parkland, gardens, woodland, and a working golf course—centred around a moated castle with over 900 years of history. The Leeds Castle Foundation needed a strategic partner to help reconcile the demands of conserving a nationally significant heritage site with the operational and financial needs of a modern visitor destination.

The Solution

Since 2014, Land & Heritage—led by Matt Jackson—has been retained as the Foundation’s landscape consultancy partner. Working closely with the estate team, we’ve provided holistic stewardship across multiple disciplines. From coordinating ecology, arboriculture, and biodiversity enhancements to delivering design-led improvements such as the Oriental Garden, our work has supported the estate’s evolving needs while staying rooted in its heritage value.

The Result

Over a decade of partnership has led to significant outcomes:

• Two woodland management plans delivered

• Veteran tree and safety works carried out to exemplary standards

• Biodiversity enhancements integrated into day-to-day management

• New gardens designed and implemented, notably the acclaimed Oriental Garden

• Elevated standards across the estate, blending conservation with contemporary relevance

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