Handyman / Groundskeeper — Cotswolds Estate

A 150-acre Cotswolds estate centred on a beautifully restored Elizabethan manor house requires a skilled Handyman and Groundskeeper to maintain the property, its outbuildings, and the surrounding grounds to the highest standard. The estate includes the main house (12 bedrooms), a gate lodge, two staff cottages, a tennis court, a heated outdoor swimming pool, an orchard, paddocks, and extensive formal and informal gardens. The property is a working household that hosts family gatherings, charity events, and occasional corporate retreats.

The owners are a London-based family who spend weekends and school holidays at the estate. A resident housekeeper maintains the interior, and a gardening team visits twice weekly during the growing season. The handyman is the year-round on-site presence — the person responsible for ensuring the property is safe, functional, and beautiful through every season.

Daily duties vary enormously by season but typically include: basic plumbing and electrical repairs, painting and decorating, fence and gate maintenance, log preparation and wood store management, pool maintenance and water chemistry, snow and ice clearance in winter, liaison with specialist contractors (roofers, electricians, tree surgeons), security patrols and alarm system monitoring, vehicle maintenance for the estate's Land Rover and ride-on mower, and any ad-hoc tasks required to keep a large country property in immaculate order.

The ideal candidate is practically skilled across multiple trades, physically fit, and genuinely enjoys the varied, self-directed nature of estate work. You are the kind of person who notices a loose tile and fixes it before it becomes a leak, who keeps the log store stacked and the driveway clear, and who takes visible pride in the property's appearance. Previous experience on a country estate or comparable large property is essential.