The Cotswolds is one of the most sought-after locations for country living in England, and the estates there are some of the finest. Honey-coloured stone manor houses, rolling parkland, walled gardens, and stable blocks — these properties are stunning, but they need a serious team to run properly.
We've placed staff in Cotswolds estates ranging from a relatively modest farmhouse with three staff to a 2,000-acre Grade I listed estate with a team of twenty-five. The staffing needs vary enormously, but certain patterns hold true.
The Core Team
Estate Manager
On any property over about 500 acres, or any house with more than eight bedrooms, you'll almost certainly need an estate manager. This person is the single point of accountability for everything — property maintenance, grounds oversight, staff management, budget control, contractor coordination, and event planning.
A good estate manager in the Cotswolds commands £55,000 to £90,000, often with a cottage on the estate. At the upper end, you're looking at someone with MRICS or CAAV qualifications, a background in rural estate management, and experience running teams of ten or more.
They need to be equally comfortable negotiating with a roofing contractor, discussing a planting scheme with the head gardener, and presenting a quarterly budget to the family office. It's a role that demands breadth, not just depth.
Housekeeper or House Manager
Every country house needs someone running the interior. In smaller households, this is a housekeeper — cleaning, laundry, managing daily routines, perhaps some cooking. In larger houses, it's a house manager overseeing a team of housekeeping staff.
For a sole-charge housekeeper who can handle silver, fine linens, and the occasional shooting weekend, you're looking at £30,000 to £40,000 — plus a cottage, which is expected. A house manager running a team of four or five, managing the accounts, coordinating with the estate manager, and overseeing catering for house parties? That's £45,000 to £55,000, sometimes more if the workload's heavy. The accommodation is almost always part of the package at this level.
The Cotswolds adds some specific demands: stone floors that need specialist care, antique furniture, open fires, and the kind of mud that only a working countryside can produce. Experience in period properties is genuinely useful here.
Cook or Private Chef
Country living revolves around food. Weekend house parties, shoots, family suppers, and the kind of cooking that makes the most of what the kitchen garden produces. Most Cotswolds estates want a cook who can handle all of this with minimal fuss.
A full-time private chef commands £35,000 to £65,000 depending on experience. Some families prefer a cook-housekeeper — a combined role that works well in houses where the family is relatively small but entertaining is regular. That typically pays £32,000 to £48,000.
Dietary requirements are increasingly complex. We're placing chefs who can handle celiac, dairy-free, and plant-based alongside traditional country house cooking. The days of the plain cook are numbered.
Gardener or Head Gardener
Cotswolds gardens are often the pride of the estate. Herbaceous borders, walled kitchen gardens, specimen trees, and acres of parkland. An RHS-qualified head gardener is worth their weight in gold.
Expect to pay £28,000 to £45,000 for a head gardener, plus a team of one to four under-gardeners for larger grounds. A cottage is usually part of the package.
The best garden staff we place have a genuine passion for plants and an understanding of what's appropriate in the Cotswolds landscape. Native planting, traditional varieties, and seasonal rhythm matter here more than flashy design.
Specialist and Part-time Roles
Groom or Stable Manager
If the family keeps horses — and many Cotswolds families do — you'll need equestrian staff. A groom costs £22,000 to £30,000; a stable manager with competition experience, £30,000 to £40,000.
Gamekeeper
Estates with shooting will employ a gamekeeper year-round. Salary range is £25,000 to £35,000 with a cottage, rising for experienced keepers managing driven shoots.
Handyman / Maintenance
Every country property needs someone who can fix things. A skilled handyman or maintenance manager costs £28,000 to £38,000 and earns every penny. Boilers, fencing, minor building work, vehicle maintenance — the list never ends.
Daily Help
Many estates supplement their core team with daily staff from the village — cleaning, ironing, help with events. The going rate in the Cotswolds is £12 to £18 per hour depending on the specifics.
The Recruitment Challenge
Staffing country estates presents challenges that London placements don't. The talent pool is smaller — not everyone wants to live rurally, and public transport is often non-existent. Staff need their own vehicle, which limits the candidate pool further.
On the other hand, the quality of life is a genuine draw. A cottage on a beautiful estate, working outdoors, being part of a close-knit team — for the right person, it's ideal. The staff who thrive in country positions tend to be self-starters who enjoy variety and don't mind getting their hands dirty.
How We Can Help
We regularly place staff in Cotswolds estates and understand the specific demands of rural country house service. From finding an estate manager who can handle a listed building and a working farm to sourcing a cook who's happy with a kitchen garden and an Aga, we know what works in this market.
If you're setting up a new household or restructuring an existing team, get in touch. We'll help you work out what you need and find the right people for it.