We enjoyed lunch and an afternoon walk around Winterbourne Gardens. For some reason the gate to the reservoir was closed leaving us slightly dissapointed.

Ray Grigg

I found the GKN collection especially interesting due to my dealings with GKN and other related Defence industries during my working life.

Winterbourne has strong links with Guest, Keen & Nettlefold (GKN) through John Sutton Nettlefold, whose grandfather founded Nettlefolds in the 1820s.  John himself worked for the family firm at the start of his career, and his brother continued as a Director following Nettlefolds’ merger with Guest & Keen in 1900.

Winterbourne has been collecting items relating to GKN for many years, and in 2019 we received a significant donation of archival material from GKN.  This remarkable collection contains catalogues, minute books, photographs and much more.

One of GKN’s major subsidiaries was Joseph Sankey & Sons.

Winterbourne is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century suburban villa and garden. The house was built in 1903 for John and Margaret Nettlefold, of Guest, Keen & Nettlefold.

Nettlefold was a pioneer of town planning who carried the ideas seen in his own home to the less wealthy areas of the city.

Originally designed as a small country estate with rustic outbuildings and large gardens, Winterbourne followed the style of the Arts and Crafts movement with examples of local craftsmanship throughout the house.

Margaret Nettlefold designed the garden, inspired by the books and garden designs of Gertrude Jekyll. After a period of restoration, the garden was Grade II listed by English Heritage in 2008.

Mike Dolan