Wentworth Castle: How a family feud led to an elaborate Union Jack garden being created in Yorkshire

A dramatic part of the beautiful landscaped grounds at Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley, is the Union Jack Garden.

It’s a significant, historical part of the garden, thought to have been used by the original owner Thomas Wentworth to show, in plain sight, where his allegiances lay.

Now the plot, set amidst the Grade I listed landscape, has received a facelift by community groups working alongside the castle’s garden team.

The gardens are managed by the National Trust, in partnership with Barnsley Council and Northern College, which runs adult education courses from the building.

Thirteen pockets of historical garden have been re-developed over the past four years, shaped as the Union Jack flag, literally growing into the hillside.

The original garden was created by Thomas Wentworth, who was determined to make his mark after being passed over for the fortune and title of the Earl of Strafford at nearby Wentworth Woodhouse in favour of a cousin.

It could be that, as a close advisor to Queen Anne, at the very least, it was seen as a celebration of the union of England and Scotland.

Today, however, the work gave the opportunity to have a modern twist and represent the current partnership, local community and garden experience in the 21st century.

Keeping the ‘formal wilderness’ style with high clipped hedges, each intimate section has been adopted by a group including local schools such as Barnsley Academy and Greenacre School; ‘Open Country’ who provide opportunities for those with a range of disabilities to engage with nature; ‘Feels Like Home’ who help migrant communities to feel at home in Barnsley and ‘Creative Recovery’ who use creativity to support mental health and recovery.

Wentworth’s volunteer and outdoor teams have also taken on sections to leave their ongoing legacy to the place where they work and donate their time.

Ruth Wynters, partnership and participation manager for the National Trust said: “It’s been a fascinating project to be involved with, the best part for me has been letting the ideas flow from those involved and seeing them become a reality.

"Now each space has taking on its own identity and I’m looking forward to watching them grow over time.”

Jess, one of the participants, from the Friends of Wombwell Cemetery, said: “We’ve enjoyed working in our section and can’t wait to get the main elements finished off.

"Our highlights were designing the garden initially, working on the information panel, and seeing the garden very quickly come together once we made a start.

“The project has made us all really pull together as a group. It’s brought us together, especially when naming the garden, and has been refreshing to work somewhere else as a team.”

The project was supported and funded by the National Trust, Barnsley Council and legacy gifts left in wills.

Initial workshops were held to help with budget planning, artistic ideas and designs that capture the groups intentions whilst maintaining the integrity of the historical feature.

Ruth added: “Apparently Thomas Wentworth told his son and heir William, that if he ever destroyed this part of the garden, he would return to haunt him. I’m thrilled we can let him continue to rest in peace and hopefully he would approve of the current day twist to his original design.”