Moff Moffat
Pinewoods Site Warden
I am a warden at Pinewoods and have been in this role since June 2018.
I’m not sure that I can define a typical day for a Pinewoods warden! We have daily checks and duties to carry out, but a large percentage of what we do is reactive. So, we must react to, and deal with, any situations that present themselves on any given day! We quite literally have no idea what we might be doing from one minute to the next. We mainly take care of all the maintenance work on the holiday park itself, but we also help to look after the pine woods and in the holiday months we provide a presence on Wells Beach too.
What was your route into Pinewoods?
I was made redundant from my previous job in May 2018 and I decided to sent my CV to Pinewoods. Becky, now my manager at Pinewoods, invited me along for an informal chat and offered me the role of seasonal warden. I was lucky enough to be taken on full time before I even reached the end of my first season, and the rest, as they say, is history!
How would you choose to spend a day out at Holkham?
Lunch at The Victoria would always be at the top of my list! After that? A walk through the deer park and a nosey in the gift shop. A walk around the Walled Garden is always nice, too.
If you could work in another role, which would you choose?
I’m more than happy where I am to be honest, but if I was to try something else, I’d probably opt to give the nature reserve warden role a crack. I know it would be a massive learning curve and I appreciate that it’s not easy work, but that would be my first choice.
What makes Holkham a great place to work?
That’s an easy one, the people. Well, the people and the environment that we are lucky enough to work in. There’s such a positive outlook from everyone that I’ve met since working here. Right from the top, Lord and Lady Leicester, down through senior management to managers, to the teams on the ground, everyone has a ‘can do’ attitude and just cracks on with whatever needs doing. If you’re lucky enough to work in a team like that, against the magnificent backdrop that we do, then what’s not to like?
If someone was interested in becoming a Pinewoods warden, what advice would you give them?
Make sure you’re really up for it and that you’re resilient enough for the role. By that I mean you’ll be going out in all weathers doing all sorts of different things; that’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Also, be aware that there is an element to the job that is public facing, so you need to have good people skills and the ability to deal with any situations you find yourself in, in a calm, polite and controlled manner.