Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust

The Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust (ECGT) is an independent charity working in partnership with Derbyshire County Council to ensure that Elvaston has a sustainable future. The Trust’s charitable objectives focus on promoting the benefit and education of conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment and removing barriers for engagement and improving access. With the support of public donations and funding from local organisations, the Trust runs a series of activities to help improve and maintain the Elvaston Estate, provide access to areas of the castle and grounds for public benefit and also create materials to support education and information on the Estates rich history.

William Barron is one of the unsung heroes of British garden design and is the mastermind behind the gardens at Elvaston. Barron’s designs have been enjoyed for more than 150 years, and Elvaston is considered the jewel in his crown. Having paved the way for the generations of gardeners that followed him, Barron’s work continues to touch the lives of families and individuals seeking space, enjoyment, and relaxation in an increasingly urban society.

The Elvaston and William Barron archives can be accessed by emailing alison.buckley@elvastoncastle.org. The archive includes photos of the gardens in the years after completion, together with some documentary evidence around Barron’s work and a large collection of material relating to the last 50 years of the site being managed as a Country Park (noting Elvaston was the first park to be registered under the Countryside Act (1969) and the second to open to the public). In addition, we have further information relating to Baron’s work elsewhere in the country.