The Past Blooms in Historic English Garden

For over four decades, a 17th-century walled garden in Devon (England, UK) has lay hidden beneath ivy and brambles – a forgotten relic of England’s horticultural past. Today, it is stirring back to life.

With the help of developer and groundworks specialist TimberTek Ltd., and the quiet strength of a Yanmar C30R tracked dumper, the area is being restored to its former glory and opened once again to the community. What was once a wilderness is slowly being transformed into a place of beauty and purpose: a space where history, nature, and people can flourish together.

Restoring history, nurturing the future

The walled garden was once part of the 1st Earl of Portsmouth’s estate, built to grow exotic fruits and medicinal herbs behind its 25-foot stone walls. Designed to trap the warmth of the sun and protect against wind, the walls created sheltered microclimates where pineapples, grapes, and rare plants could thrive in England’s cool climate.

Even now, standing inside the walls, the difference is clear. “You can still feel how much warmer it is when you’re standing inside – it’s around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (approx. 10-15 F) warmer all the time,” says Simeon Reeves, founder of TimberTek. “Even amongst the ruin, you can imagine what it must have been like when it was first built.”

For Simeon’s client, whose family once ran a garden centre on the site, the restoration is deeply personal. “For them, it’s sentimental,” he explains. “They could have decided to just build ten properties on the land, but they wanted to bring it back to life, open it to the public – and do it properly, in a way that honours the site’s heritage.”

The delicate art of renewal

Working with an architect, ecologist, and local businesses, TimberTek is carefully clearing years of overgrowth, uncovering buried walls, and re-establishing natural drainage across the two-acre site. The goal: to honour the original design while preparing the ground for new life. Every movement on site demands precision, care, and respect – values that guide both TimberTek’s work and the design of Yanmar’s compact equipment.

At the heart of this delicate work is the Yanmar C30R tracked dumper (Operating Weight: 2,650 kg), supplied by local dealer Machine Serve. Compact, low-impact, and designed for confined spaces, it moves soil, stone, and debris without disturbing the fragile terrain. “The tracked design means minimal ground pressure,” says Simeon. “It can move loads without leaving deep marks or damaging the soil structure.”

Meanwhile, its swivel dumping and reversible operator seat give the team agility where space is tight. “The swivel seat makes such a difference,” Simeon adds. “You can change direction easily without turning the whole machine around.”

Unearthing the past

As the team cleared the site, they uncovered remarkable traces of its history: musket balls from the English Civil War, fragments of pottery, and even the skeleton of a packhorse thought to have carried stone during the garden’s original construction. “It’s like peeling back layers of time,” says Simeon. “Every relic tells a story, reconnecting us with the lives that once shaped this place. For us, it’s about honouring that history so future generations can experience and enjoy it too.”

A garden for everyone

Once complete (predicted in late 2027), the walled garden will be a living, self-sustaining space. Organic planting, a farm shop, and beehives producing local honey will create a thriving ecosystem that nourishes both people and nature. The project reflects the shared philosophy of TimberTek and Yanmar: craftsmanship, innovation, and harmony with the natural world. Encapsulating the Japanese concept of Hanasaka – meaning “let the people bloom” – the garden is being restored not only for today, but for the future.

Accessibility is also central to the vision. In collaboration with an architect, TimberTek is incorporating accessible pathways and entry points to ensure the garden can be safely and comfortably enjoyed by all visitors, including those with mobility needs. The project will also provide opportunities for local schools to visit and learn, with educational placards guiding children through the site’s history, ecology, and horticulture; inspiring future generations to carry its stories forward.

A lasting legacy

As its walls reawaken, this once-forgotten garden stands as a reminder that progress does not always mean starting anew. Sometimes, the most powerful act of creation is to honour what already exists – and help it bloom once more, for everyone to share.

For Simeon and his team, this restoration is as much about people as it is about place – a way of giving something back to the community that shaped them. The project embodies Yanmar’s vision of “A Sustainable Future – New Value through Technology” in the truest sense: creating prosperity that endures through innovation, care, and respect for the land. Tags: Yanmar