Kilver Court and Gardens

The three and a half acre gardens were first created in the late 19th century by Ernest Jardine (1859-1947), the Member of Parliament for East Somerset. Originally from Nottingham, he was an enlightened employer in the mould of other Victorian social reformers such as the Quaker Cadbury brothers at Bournville and Octavia Hill (one of the founders of the National Trust). He created a ‘model factory; where he built lace-making machines and laid out the gardens (what he called ‘Jardine’s Park) for the benefit of his employees. he used the millponds as a boating lake and gave over the surrounding gardens for the workers’ recreation. Fruit and vegetables were grown to provide lunchtime meals and he also created allotments where workers could grow their own food.

Somerset’s Kilver Court, originally the first Mulberry factory, is now proudly home to the original Mulberry ‘Factory Shop’.