About Us
Plants have been grown at Englefield for generations.
During the Victorian period the site was part of the kitchen garden, which grew much of the produce for Englefield House.
During the First World War however, like many walled gardens, the site fell into neglect as the gardeners went off to fight, many of them never to return.
During the 1960’s most of the old ranges of Victorian glasshouses had come to the end of their useful life and were replaced with the aluminium glasshouses that the garden centre is based in today.
In the early days the enterprise was run by the estate, before being leased to Mr William Partridge (Bill), who had been head gardener at Englefield for many years. He ran Englefield Garden Centre very successfully until he retired in 1996. Since 1996 onwards it has been managed by the Affinity Trust.
Affinity Trust is a charitable organisation and limited company that champions the support of adults with learning disabilities based around the needs of the individual. The Trust’s Supported Employment service, CONTACT, offers work opportunities at Englefield garden centre to the people it supports which can enable them to fulfil their potential through workplace opportunities.
Today as part of Affinity Trust, over 5 staff and 10 people the Trust supports are involved in growing and caring for our plants as well as meeting the needs of a growing number of customers.
