Meet the GroundsFest panellists: Martin Towsey, The Bedford Estates

Martin Towsey has spent 39 years in horticulture working first as a Nottingham city council apprentice, then as a Horticultural technician at Brackenhurst College. Towsey lectured in horticulture and was head of park and gardens at the Brackenhurst site, Nottingham Trent University. He is now estates garden manager for the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, looking after the horticulture of The Bedford estates, Woburn abbey, Woburn safari park, Woburn golf club amenity areas, Woburn village, London Estate.

He will be speaking on HortWeek's Tools of the trade: Navigating machinery, equipment and scams panel. 

Join us on September 9 in the Landscape Zone in the HortWeek seminar area at GroundsFest at 1pm.

This essential panel is sponsored by Cramer, Makita UK LTD and STIGA. 

You’re on the Tools of the trade: Navigating machinery, equipment and scams panel at GroundsFest this year – why should visitors come along to listen? 

Come along to hear a wealth of experience, I myself have 39 years in horticulture and much has changed in that time. 

What’s your experience of acquiring/working with machinery and equipment?

Coming from a farming background we were raised to operate machinery. I was a machinery operator at Bulwell Forest golf club before going on the teaching machinery operations at Nottingham Trent university. Now in collaboration with my teams at Woburn abbey,  Woburn safari park, Woburn golf club amenities, London estate, I purchase all the horticultural machinery for all the gardens across the Bedford estates Gardens.

What was your journey into the horticulture industry? 

39 years in horticulture from the age of 16 – Nottingham city council apprentice, horticultural technician at Brackenhurst Collage, lectured in horticulture and head of park and gardens Brackenhurst site Nottingham tent University. I’m now estates garden manager for the  Duke and Duchess of Bedford, looking after the horticulture of The Bedford estates, Woburn abbey, Woburn safari park, Woburn golf club amenity areas, Woburn village, London Estate.  

What would you say are your areas of expertise?

I've got practical hands on management of teams and projects, making things happen. I also have expedrtise in smart tech and machinery.

What are you most looking forward to at GroundsFest as a visitor?

The hands-on demos and the feeling it is a festival for the staff to engage in.