A team of gardeners in Cumbria have begun a massive six-month pruning of the world’s oldest topiary garden.

Some of the trees at Levens Hall, near Kendal, date back to 1694, and the garden holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest of its kind in the world.

The grounds feature more than 100 living sculptures, a variety of unusual shapes ranging from chess pieces to birds to trees cut to resemble Homer Simpson, Darth Vader and Queen Elizabeth I.

Once a year, a small team of gardeners are tasked with keeping the garden looking beautiful.

Harry Hansen and Toby Bewley went to meet them.