Born the son of an Oxfordshire fruit grower, Murray Maclean completed a course in horticulture at Writtle in 1961, before joining his father as a fruit grower. In 1969 Murray bought his own small farm at Frilford to continue growing fruit and vegetables.
In the early 1970s Murray began growing hedgerow and woodland trees. He has now stopped growing fruit and reduced his vegetable production in order to concentrate on tree growing.
Murray’s interests include the study both of farming history and of trench warfare in the First World War. His other hobbies include a small historic racing car and the restoration and riding of veteran bicycles. He has written a book on growing hedges – Resource Management – Hedges – and a private publication covering the poems his late godfather wrote while a prisoner of war: Five Years to Liberty.