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Trevor Beale 1934-2024: Unerring enthusiasm and support

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Trevor Beale who has died at the age of 89 was instrumental in setting up the National Garden Scheme open days at West Lodge Park in Hertfordshire over 40 years ago. His cheerful presence at the spring and autumn openings when he led tours around the gardens and Beale Arboretum, will be sadly missed. Trevor moved to West Lodge Park in 1945 and grew up there.

His son Andrew said: “He loved West Lodge Park and was not only responsible for extending the hotel in 1971, but he also attended over 85 National Garden Scheme open days and was always delighted to welcome visitors and share the gardens with them.”

George Plumptre, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme paid tribute saying: “Trevor exemplified the wonderful loyalty of support, and the unerring enthusiasm, shown by so many garden owners towards the National Garden Scheme. We thank him, whole-heartedly, for the amazing generosity he showed to garden visitors over the last 43 years and for the huge contribution he made, not only to the charity, but to the nurturing of the arboretum and this wonderful green space.”

Trevor’s father, Edward Beale, took over a ten acre field previously sublet to a farmer in 1963 and began the ambitious scheme of tree planting, with professional design.

Open for the National Garden Scheme since 1981, the 35 acre Beale Arboretum at West Lodge Park consists of over 800 varieties of trees and shrubs including National Collections of hornbeam cultivars Carpinus betulus, Indian bean tree Catalpa bignonioides, and swamp cypress Taxodium distichum. With its network of paths through conifers, oaks, maples and mountain ash it’s a wonderful collection to explore within the M25.

The gardens next open on Sunday 20th October and By Arrangement April to October for groups of 10+ – for more information click here