Simon Pearce writes: The photo comes from a collection held by a lady in  Chelmondiston who is William Messenger’s granddaughter. It was taken in the East Slip Garden of the garden complex near the seed store and Mr Messenger’s office. The thatched cottage behind is the house next to Church Field where Messenger and his family lived. 

 

William was an impressive gardener and highly thought of, more widely than Woolverstone. He worked for the Berners from 1893 to 1937 retiring to Heath Road when the Hall was sold.

 

This part of the gardens has now had a single storey house built in it for the owners of the new Woolverstone Park House. They utilised the walls and the offices within the design.