Katie Fretwell

Katie was the National Trust’s lead garden historian and gardens conservation planner for 18 years. She prepared garden and park historical surveys including Hidcote (2000, leading to a multi-million pound restoration project) and Plas Newydd (2004), and conservation plans for Crom, Castle Coole, Coleton Fishacre, etc, as well as commissioning and supervising further park and garden surveys and conservation plans. She has a special interest in kitchen gardens and carried out historical surveys of kitchen gardens at Knightshayes and Chartwell, leading to their restoration, as well as running a training course focussing on their re-use. Katie has a broad understanding of gardens, plants and parks, including nature conservation and archaeological issues, and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Landscape Design from Birmingham Polytechnic. Working for Portus + Whitton has further broadened her outlook and added to her skills.

Katie has written many articles, including for Country Life and Apollo, as well as editing a book on the National Trust’s approach to gardens, Rooted in History.