Monty Don's life in market town where Longmeadow is — average house price £237,000
Monty Don has been the lead presenter of Gardeners' World for more than 20 years, and much of the BBC show is filmed at his own garden.
Monty Don is one of Britain's most celebrated gardeners and television presenters, widely recognised for his long-standing role as the lead presenter of the BBC's Gardeners' World. Monty first appeared on television in the late 1980s before cementing his reputation as a highly regarded gardening writer and broadcaster.
He took on the lead presenter role of Gardeners' World in 2003, though he stepped back from the programme between 2008 and 2011 owing to ill health before resuming his position. Since 2011, much of Gardeners' World has been filmed at his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire.
The garden has become an essential element of the programme and, over the years, almost as familiar to viewers as Monty himself.
It serves as the backdrop where he imparts his practical gardening expertise, tries out different techniques.
Longmeadow
Monty Don and his wife, Sarah, have resided at Longmeadow in Ivington, Herefordshire, since the early 1990s. They purchased the property in October 1991, when both the house and garden had fallen into a state of neglect.
The house was barely habitable, while the two-acre garden was predominantly an abandoned field strewn with builder's rubble and overrun with rough grass, nettles and brambles.
According to Monty's website: "There was just one tree when they bought the property: a hazel that now stands in what is known as the Spring Garden."
Restoring the property required time, and the couple originally rented accommodation elsewhere while the work was undertaken.
They eventually moved into Longmeadow towards the close of 1992, commencing what would become a decades-long journey of transforming both the house and its surrounding garden.
The horticulturist has previously spoken with English Home about where he lives and his motivations for choosing that location.
He explained: "I live near a little town called Leominster in Herefordshire near the Welsh border."
Concerning his choice of location, he observed it was "sufficiently far" from any London commuter belt, making it more economical.
He described his property as a Tudor oak-beamed hall house with 10 workrooms and studios.
The garden is separated into four sections: the Cottage Garden, Jewel Garden, Paradise Garden, and Vegetable Garden.
Recording the garden's evolution on his blog, Monty observed: "The planting began in earnest in spring '93 and has never really ceased since. The changes have been dramatic and may seem astonishing to some.
"But in my mind that early field with its pattern of woven fences protecting the little plants, so small yet filled with dreams, still remains beneath the skin, is still there beneath all the years."
Viewers can frequently catch glimpses of the various sections of his garden on Gardeners' World, including the plants and vegetables that Monty grows.
Property prices
The market town of Leominster is located in northern Herefordshire. Both the town centre and neighbouring villages provide an excellent starting point for discovering England and Wales.
Leominster remains reasonably priced by Herefordshire standards, though house prices fluctuate significantly depending on whether you're searching within the town boundaries, nearby villages, or deeper into rural areas.
The settlement is thought to have developed around the historic Anglo-Saxon abbey, established in 660 AD.
It is situated merely 10 minutes from Hereford town centre, which offers a wealth of shops, restaurants and bars.
Recent sold-price figures indicate that the average property in Leominster sells for around £235,809 over the past year, according to Rightmove. Unsurprisingly, prices differ by property type, with average sale prices of approximately.
The bulk of properties sold in Leominster during the last year were detached homes, achieving an average price of £322,427. Terraced properties commanded an average of £188,075, while semi-detached properties reached £236,519.
Overall, homes sold in Leominster over the last year were 1% down on the previous year and 2% up on the 2022 peak of £230,076.
