We started the process of clearing out the old Victorian kitchen garden at Craflwyn estate, Beddgelert, with the help of some local volunteers. When we were confined to barracks during the foot and mouth crisis, to practise our tree surgery skills we began taking down some of the trees which had begun to create a forest within the old garden.

Then, about two years ago, we got European funding to complete the project and began by demolishing the badly dilapidated walls around the garden. We got local wall builders to dry stone wall from scratch, up to three metres high in some places. The walls were originally lime pointed, so we sourced some traditional lime putty from mid Wales to finish them off. We also put new roofs, windows and doors on the potting sheds.

The original pattern of the footpaths was still visible, especially the the fired clay edgings, so we used them to bring the paths back to how they were. Some of the edging had gone missing - the previous owners had knocked down a wall and dug out the garden to put in caravans - but I managed to source some salvaged Victorian path edgings to finish them off properly.

There was also a lot of drainage work to be done, including installing an underground drainage system to try and divert some water away - it was quite a boggy area. But we also needed to bring water into the garden, so I commissioned a Trawsfynydd company to make a brand new slate water tank.

The finishing touch was to put in a solar electric fence around the back of the walls to keep wild goats out - you can't see it, but the goats know it's there!

Our intention is to divide the old kitchen garden into allotments for local people from the parish of Beddgelert. If we create eight allotments, each will be about 100 square metres in size - this is quite small so we can't create any more. We'll maintain the walls and so on, but we'll turn over the land to local people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The users will pay about £30 a year to an allotment committee who will decide how to best spend the funds on behalf of everyone.

We don't expect anything in return except a well-managed kitchen garden and the chance to give a little back to the local community.

If anyone's interested in maintaining one of these allotments, get in touch with me at the National Trust on 01766 510122.