Since the pandemic turned our homes into our workplaces, it's perhaps become even harder to strike that elusive work-life balance. But while many can walk away from a computer at the end of the day, a select few never truly leave their place of work. We speak to the National Trust gardener and country house manager who says living onsite all year around is absolutely worth it.
Probably the greatest indicator of Michelle Hill’s contentment with where she lives is that in almost 20 years, she has never moved. And when you look at Hanbury Hall - a country house in the heart of Worcestershire with almost 400 acres of parkland, an orangery, orchards and deer - it’s easy to see why she’s stayed put.
“I feel very spoiled,” she admits. “I have a beautiful garden to enjoy that I don’t have to do anything to; when we have snow I get to take pictures before the first visitors come in. I do feel very lucky to live here because it’s such a beautiful estate. And you can’t complain about the commute because it’s literally a staircase.”
Michelle has been the collections and house manager of the property near Droitwich since 2003 and takes care of the objects and interiors, many of which are in the Danish-inspired style made popular by the 17th Century monarchs King William and Queen Mary. She lives in a converted area that used to be servants’ quarters but previously lived on the first floor in a space she later gave up voluntarily to improve the customer experience.
“Because they were big grand rooms I always thought it was a shame that our visitors didn’t get to see them. Then seven or eight years ago we decided to have a tearoom and I thought the flat I was in would be perfect for that,” she says.
Moving away from the visitor route might have provided a physical separation between home and work but when you're “living above the shop” you have to go a step further to maintain boundaries, says Michelle.
“You have to be careful to make a distinction on holidays and your days off because there’s a risk of [being asked] ‘I know you’re not at work, but…’. You have to be strict not to get sucked in.”
Her full-time presence has, however, given Michelle an insight into the realities of living in a house built in 1701, an experience only generations of its former owners would have been privy to.
“When Thomas Vernon built it he only intended to live here during the summer months, so during the winter it was closed up and [the family] would live in London,” she explains.
“Living in it all year round you can understand why because of the draughts and coldness and lack of insulation. At the time they would have had fires, which we of course don’t [for conservation reasons], so it gives you a real feeling of what historic living used to be like and how buildings like these were lived in.”
The property has many of the hallmarks of a house of its time - high ceilings, coving, sash windows and beautiful fireplaces. It also bears the sometimes amusing characteristics of a very old, listed stately home that cannot be altered.
“The floors are hysterical, the gaps at the door go down at weird angles and everything has to have massive wedges on the furniture because the floors are so uneven,” says Michelle. “But it’s great because living onsite you get [to know] the history of the hall and how much work it takes to maintain it; all the quirks, the noises it makes. You get immersed in it and it’s really nice.”
Day to day, Michelle is responsible for the conservation and care of the building and collections and says that after two decades, she feels protective of her home.
“You’re always very conscious that you’re walking halls that people have walked for 300 years, there’s a feeling of wanting to take care of it and continue the legacy of the Vernon family."
Michelle has seen interest in the hall boom during her time there. When she started, the hall was open five days a week, closed in winter, and had an annual footfall of about 48,000; now it is open almost every day and welcomes about a quarter of a million visitors each year.
“I’ve never gotten bored and thought it’s time to move on. There are just too many interesting things going on and something happening,” she remarks.
Luckily, 44-year-old Michelle doesn’t have to worry about moving out due to retirement just yet. And as a self-proclaimed country girl, she has no interest in returning to city life in London where she lived before.
“Being here is good for physical and mental health,” she explains. “But it’s a personal preference [to live this way] and every property is unique, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. It doesn’t suit everyone but it suits me.”
The one minor complaint she has about life at National Trust property is the same one shared by the head gardener at Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire.
“This time of year the bats are horrendous so the alarms are always going off, you can be up a couple of times in the night resetting them,” says Nadine Bayliss.
“But other than that, I don’t know that there are any downsides [to living here]. Sometimes I work seven days a week or I can be on-call but to just walk out with the dog and come face-to-face with all the history and beauty… that’s where you count your blessings.”
The 58-year-old started volunteering one day a week nine years ago and moved into a pretty stone cottage within the grounds in May 2020. She is now in charge of not just the carefully restored 18th Century gardens but the various orchards, ponds and parkland.
“My house has thick walls, looks out over a valley and has plenty of gardens, which is great for a gardener,” she quips. “There’s a lot to like, I’m very lucky to be somewhere so beautiful - Northamptonshire is like the Cotswolds of the north and Canon Ashby is one of the best-kept secrets.”
The foundations of this sprawling estate were laid by owner John Dryden in the 1550s using the remains of a medieval priory. As later generations made additions and alterations to the house, it became a patchwork of styles but its gardens have remained unaltered since 1710 and were preserved by descendant Sir Henry Dryden, a Victorian antiquarian who inherited it in 1837.
“It’s a gem because it’s unchanged and that in itself makes it very important,” says Nadine. “It really is special - it has four terraces and gravel paths and square lawns, it’s very formal and [remains] exactly as it was when it was first designed.”
Nadine’s role is to maintain the gardens and lawns, produce fruit and vegetables, and grow cut flowers for decoration. She has spent her whole career in horticulture but now some of her favourite memories involve her current home.
“In lockdown, nobody was here and I stood in front of the house and all I could hear was the sound of the birds - no traffic, nothing. It was glorious,” she says.
Another time, during a bank holiday, she recalls how strange it felt to sit in the empty park on what would otherwise have been a very busy day.
“Normally we’d have a parkland full but myself and my colleague just sat in the garden and ate our sandwiches. That memory will stay with me for a very long time because it was surreal, it’s nice to have people back.”
But it’s the quiet moments stolen at the end of the day that really stand out for Nadine - those that perhaps could not be replicated by living in a normal house on an average street.
“When you’re watering on summer evenings, when everyone has gone home and you’re there on your own… the sun sets and the colours change and the house glows. It is just beautiful.”
