The challenging slopes of National Trust property, Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, are being perfectly manicured thanks to the Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and Tough Cut mowing deck. The Buckinghamshire estate is managed on behalf of the National Trust by The Rothschild Foundation who purchased the mower from RT Machinery Ltd.
Mike Buffin, Gardens Manager at Waddesdon heads a team of 14 full-time gardeners and four students on one-year assignments. His impressive CV includes working at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and National Trust. The gardens department manages over 400 acres at Waddesdon.
“We have wildflower meadows dotted around the estate, many on challenging slopes,” says Mike. “I’m attempting a change to the direction of our maintenance regimes, looking to get more versatility from our equipment and taking a more environmental approach, where possible.
“There’s a broad expanse of lawn at the front of the house, which takes a lot of wear at our annual events, such as the Christmas Fair, Colourscape in May, Summer Fest in July and Chilli Fest each September. The initial demo highlighted the benefits of the Aera-vator in relieving the compaction and the overseeding attachment worked particularly well. However, it was on the wildflower banks where the machine really came into its own. It was a wet day and the Tough Cut deck performed admirably in these challenging areas. We have been using several different mowers to achieve the high level of presentation expected at Waddesdon. The versatility of the Ventrac has simplified this and it is now one of our principal mowers.
the Ventrac allows these to be maintained with ease and in safety
“RT Machinery have been excellent and the ability to hire-in attachments means we have the opportunity to undertake an extended evaluation to enable us to draw up a shortlist of attachments for future purchase. It’s the ideal machine for us because of its versatility, the ease of changing attachments and its slope mowing capabilities.”