Henchman, which makes tripod ladders for uneven ground, has supplied most of the royal residences including King Charles III’s Wiltshire home at Highgrove and Buckingham Palace.

The Melksham-based company now produces the only tripod ladder on the market in the UK and the rest of the world that is fully certified by the British Standards Institute.

Tom Kitching, 46, Henchman’s executive chairman, said: “It is wonderful that we are so popular with the gardeners at the royal residences.

“I have been to Buckingham Palace to help the team there and we have also supplied Highgrove, Sandringham and Kensington Palace which all have beautiful grounds.

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do and our ladders are perfect for royal gardens which have lots of uneven surfaces.

“Our tripod ladders allow the royal gardeners to prune larger bushes and trees in complete safety, allowing them to focus on the job in hand.”

The company made headlines when England Rugby used its tripod ladder to help with line-out training during the World Cup in Japan in 2019.

The tripod ladder is still spotted in various training sessions with England Rugby and other Premiership rugby clubs across the country.

Tom said: “I am a huge rugby fan and I was delighted that our ladders have been used in rugby training.”

Sales have grown by 320 per cent over the last five years to peak during the height of the Covid pandemic when the UK went gardening mad.

Turn-over is expected to grow again this year, with more than 80 per cent of sales coming directly to the business through online and telephone sales.

Customers include the National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society.

Around 10 per cent of sales are outside the UK and sister company Henchman BV has been launched to supply the Netherlands, France, Germany and the rest of Europe.

Tom added: “The smallest undulations can make a surface unsafe – it can be something as simple as having to span a pavement and that is why we are excited about growth in new territories.

The firm has 10 staff and is based in new premises in a 20,000 square foot warehouse in Snarlton Lane, Melksham.

The business was founded in 1994 when Mike Kitching fell from a conventional ladder while at home and he could not find a safer ladder to use on his uneven garden.

He explained the problem to his teenage son Tom, who developed a safer raised platform for his GCSE in Design and Technology exam while studying at Sherborne School.

Mr Kitching senior, now 86, is retired but still takes a close interest in the business which is being driven forward by managing director Owen Simpson, 28.

The latest figures from the charity No Falls Foundation estimate between 105,000 and 420,000 falls from height in homes and gardens each year.

Tom said: “We see it as our mission to prevent accidents and falls from heights and we are trying to bring a professional level of safety to the consumer. ”

Henchman has just launched the new fully adjustable PRO tripod ladder which has all the benefits of the original but with even more versatility, adjustability and durability and with a second platform if gardeners need to work lower down.

A key part of its Henchman’s success has been bringing in Bristol-based online retail specialists Brightpearl whose software has managed all its orders for the past seven years.