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Chris Jessop told the story of the restoration of the Castle Gardens in Taunton. Originally part of the Bishops of Winchester's estate, the gardens are owned by Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society (SANHS) and leased to The Castle Hotel. SANHS was formed in 1849 by members of the landed gentry to preserve transcripts and other items related to the history of Somerset. In 1879 Taunton Castle, which included the gardens, came onto the market and despite its dilapidated state was purchased by SANHS. In 2018 the Castle Hotel decided that it no longer wanted to maintain the gardens and the area quickly became overgrown. Funding to the tune of £150,000 was therefore obtained by SAHNS from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and other generous funders to repair the ancient curtain wall, re-lay paths and steps, make improvements to disabled access and create a visual link with Taunton Castle. Chris was the first to volunteer to start the clearance of undergrowth and vegetation, including a number of rotten trees, ivy, wild clematis and valerian. Gradually more volunteers, most newly retired, joined in before building contractors moved in. The restoration project ended in 2023 and since then the Castle Hotel has re-occupied the area.