The Victorian Kitchen Garden
The Victorian Kitchen Garden is a 13-part BBC series, in which Harry Dodson recreated a working kitchen garden of the Victorian era in the Chilton Walled Gardens.
For many people the walled gardens at Leverton remain associated with Harry Dodson, who was the Head Gardener on the Chilton Estate for the Ward family from 1947 until his retirement in 1981. He lived in the Gardener’s Cottage with his wife Kathleen from his arrival until his death in 2005.
In December 1997 a party was given at Chilton Lodge to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Harry’s arrival at Chilton. In his letter of thanks to Gerald Ward, he wrote ‘I have been the envy of many men. Very few men have been able to do 50 years on one Estate since the Forties – the breakup of estates prevented it. We truly thank the family for all the happy and secure years we’ve been able to spend at Chilton.’
Harry Dodson died in 2005, and his widow, Kathleen, died in 2016. In June 2017, Harry’s ashes were finally laid to rest in his mother’s grave at Blackmoor, Hampshire, where he had been born and had his first job.
In 2017, renowned journalist Sandra Lawrence wrote three articles for Hortus Magazine about The Victorian Kitchen Garden and Harry's involvement at Chilton. These can be read and downloaded below.
For many people the walled gardens at Leverton remain associated with Harry Dodson, who was the Head Gardener on the Chilton Estate for the Ward family from 1947 until his retirement in 1981. He lived in the Gardener’s Cottage with his wife Kathleen from his arrival until his death in 2005.
In December 1997 a party was given at Chilton Lodge to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Harry’s arrival at Chilton. In his letter of thanks to Gerald Ward, he wrote ‘I have been the envy of many men. Very few men have been able to do 50 years on one Estate since the Forties – the breakup of estates prevented it. We truly thank the family for all the happy and secure years we’ve been able to spend at Chilton.’
Harry Dodson died in 2005, and his widow, Kathleen, died in 2016. In June 2017, Harry’s ashes were finally laid to rest in his mother’s grave at Blackmoor, Hampshire, where he had been born and had his first job.
In 2017, renowned journalist Sandra Lawrence wrote three articles for Hortus Magazine about The Victorian Kitchen Garden and Harry's involvement at Chilton. These can be read and downloaded below.