Meet 'Naked Gardeners' who created their very own Garden of Eden

Naked gardeners who created their very own 'Garden of Eden' put their country manor on the market after wife files for divorce – accusing her husband of being a 'womanising alcoholic'

• Ian and Barbara Pollard took over Abbey House Gardens in Wiltshire
• Couple then transformed the Malmesbury estate into a nudist attraction
• Couple's dream is set to come to an end after Mrs Pollard filed for divorce 
• Mr Pollard says he will be forced to sell the property, prompting fears the  gardens may be shut

The famous 'Naked Gardeners' who created their very own Garden of Eden around a country manor are selling up after 'Eve' filed for divorce on the grounds her husband is a 'womanising alcoholic', it was revealed today.

Barbara Pollard walked out on husband Ian after five years of marriage, leading to fears the beautiful garden they created together in Malmesbury, Wiltshire could be closed to the public and become overgrown.

Mrs Pollard first suggested a divorce just a few months after she was married to Mr Pollard, he claimed today, but the couple made a go of things until she moved out three months ago and accused him of being a 'womanising alcoholic' in divorce papers.

Naked gardeners Ian and Barbara Pollard found fame after taking over Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury, Wiltshire and transforming the manor's gardens to attract visitors

But the couple are now selling the estate following Mrs Pollard's decision to file for divorce after five years of marriage and 20 years living at the property together

The couple met when she went to work at his Wiltshire-based property development company 30 years ago, after his first wife declared their marriage was over.

They bought picturesque Abbey House from a group of nuns in 1994 and spent four years transforming the home and gardens, before opening the grounds to the public.

They got married five years ago after Mr Pollard was told he might not survive an operation to replace a defective aortic valve in his heart.

He pulled through but said his new wife soon spoke of divorce and has now accused him of being a womaniser who drinks too much, claims he denies.

The couple rose to fame in the 1990s when TV programmes were made about the thousands of nudist visitors who flocked to their manor and its beautiful gardens

The couple wrap up in fur while showing off their book - The Naked Gardeners

Speaking today, Mr Pollard said: 'Eleven weeks after we got married Barbara suggested that maybe it would be a good idea if we had a controlled separation and divorce - that was the first suggestion for it. I don't know what brought that thing on.'

He said Mrs Pollard soon moved into another area of the house but the marriage continued until last July when she attended a course at Glastonbury on 'family healing'.

He added: 'After coming back she walked out on me, the three kids - who are 18, 22, and 27 - and her own mother, who is 89 and lives in a flat upstairs.'

According to Mr Pollard, his wife filed for divorce three months ago, but then moved back to the 12-bedroom property ten days ago when the lease on her rented home ran out.

When asked the reason for the split, he said: 'I'm a womanising alcoholic [according to divorce papers]. To all parties concerned it is "where the hell did she dream that one up".

'To call me a womaniser is ludicrous. Also an alcoholic - I like drinking like 80 or 90 per cent of the country. Her idea is that you shouldn't drink at all, you should abstain from alcohol completely.

'She also said I left the marital bed, but she was the one that moved.'

Mr Pollard said he did not want to sell the home, but could not afford to buy out her share of the property, which is expected to go for 'quite a lot' in the coming weeks.

Mr Pollard says he feels bound to explain the reasons behind the sale as it will affect the local economy in Malmesbury, Wilstshire

Mr Pollard says his estate has seen visitor numbers soar to the are off the back of the garden's popularity

In a statement, Mrs Pollard said: 'All I can say is that Ian and I are very different people but with common interests. We have brought different skills to the development of Abbey House and its gardens, which it has been a privilege to participate in. 

'However I am not getting any younger, I will not last forever and I believe it is time to let someone else create a new chapter here. I wish to continue my interest in gardening, approach it in a different way and grow food among the flowers.'

Abbey House Gardens has attracted nearly half a million visitors since it opened its doors in 1998.

The building - parts of which date back to Saxon times - became a home for the couple and their three children and made them one of Britain's most famous nudist couples.

The couple's fame grew when they later unearthed the skeleton of a 12th century monk in the tulip beds.

But after just five years of marriage, Mrs Pollard recently left and the home and gardens are now set to go on the market in the coming weeks.

The pending sale is likely to spell the end of the road for the medieval town's naked tourists and locals fear the treasured garden could be shut to the public.

Mr Pollard added: 'As well as the personal issues, there is an added impact on the gardens and the town, so I believe people deserve an explanation.

'We have 20 people here who are either employed or volunteer, and Abbey House Gardens are a big draw for the town.

Locals now fear the lovingly looked-after gardens may be closed off to the public or allowed to go back to their former overgrown state

The beautiful tulip borders to the some of the garden's lawns are among the many wonderful features which have attracted so many visitors

'The house and the gardens will be going on the market in the next few weeks but we have agreed that any sale will not impact on this season, so we will stay open until October as usual.

'But there will obviously be no guarantee that whoever buys Abbey House will want to keep it open.

'We are constantly described by visitors as being much better than Hidcote or Highgrove or Sittinghurst, and some describe us as one of the best gardens in the world.

'It would be lovely if they did see that they could open up the gardens to the public and get an income which covers the expenses of keeping the garden, but who knows?'

Malmesbury's mayor Sue Poole appealed for any prospective buyer to keep the gardens open.

'Abbey House Gardens are very important to the town and has brought in a lot of people to Malmesbury. It has put the town on the map,' she said.

'People come to the tourist information centre and the town hall and ask 'where are the Naked Gardeners' and it will be a very sad loss to Malmesbury.'