Remarkable garden created in memory of a remarkable woman

Now, an equally colourful memorial to her life has been created, with a new sensory rose garden emerging from a historic, but neglected, walled garden at Wentworth Woodhouse.

Herringthorpe born Margaret was an adventuress, as happy climbing mountains, marching through night-hikes or racing a motorbike and sidecar as she was riding her Vespa - among the first in Rotherham - in her younger days.

She had a love of gardening at home in Wickersley with partner Audrey Morris, though she spent the final chapter of her life in a care home.

Both had a love of visiting Wentworth Woodhouse and Audrey donated £30,000 to the Preservation Trust which operates the house and gardens, to create the sensory garden.

The stately home had exactly the right location - a circular walled garden, dating from the 1730s and one of the earliest features of the home’s impressive gardens.

With the location agreed, work commenced on the transformation to create what is now the Sensory Rose Garden.

Planting was designed by David Austin®, the Shropshire specialists who have been breeding English roses since 1961, and features over 170 David Austin roses, 50 per cent of which were donated by the company as part of its David Austin Planting Partnership scheme.

Heritage specialists were called in to restore railings and masonry, with the rest of the work tackled by the Trust’s gardeners and volunteers.

It is now a fitting tribute to Margaret’s life, which also included launching a business, Dial Business Services, a secretarial and printing company.

Later, she was involved in a typesetting business with Audrey, serving printers. One regular task was the Lady Mabel College Old Students Association’s newsletter.

Audrey, aged 80, said: “Margaret loved roses. There were some in the garden when we took on the house in 1979 and we grew our collection with a number from David Austin Roses.

“I thought the creation of a rose garden in a place she loved was the perfect tribute.”

WWPT’s CEO, Sarah McLeod OBE, said: “Audrey’s generous gift meant we could restore one of our garden’s prettiest and oldest features.

Thanks to the added support of David Austin, whose English roses are loved the world-over, over 170 roses now bloom in Margaret’s memory.”