1. The Gardens Trust County Gardens Trusts
Historic Landscape Project
The Gardens Trust County Gardens Trusts
Hello! The Historic Landscape Project is an initiative from The Gardens Trust (formed by merger of The Garden History Society and the Association of Gardens Trust) to support and capacity build County Gardens Trusts in their work conserving historic designed landscapes.
Some of you will remember having heard from my ex-colleague Verena McCaig a few years ago, or will have met with CGTs or the HLP, but this seems like a timely opportunity to update everyone, as our ‘world’ has changed a lot over the past few years.
Historic Landscape Project
Historic Landscape Project

2. Historic Landscape Project
The Garden History Society Statutory consultee Garden History journal
Association of Gardens Trusts
County Gardens Trusts
7000 members
The Gardens Trust
July 2015
Historic Landscape Project

3. What are County Gardens Trusts?
36 County Gardens Trusts – CGTs
The Gardens Trust (TGT) - Umbrella body
Autonomous charitable organisations
Membership 50 – 400+ per county
Members: active and inactive
Volunteers: internal and external
Research & Recording Groups
Conservation Groups
Education initiatives
Garden visiting groups
Historic Landscape Project

4. Here’s a gallery to give you an idea of the jolly things they’re up to
Here’s a gallery to give you an idea of the jolly things they’re up to. We’re talking about visiting landscapes, studying landscapes, recording, discussing with likeminded people, undertaking work in the planning system, raising the profile of landscapes, fighting the corner.

5. Historic Landscape Project
Gardens Trusts?
Or Historic Designed Landscape Trusts?
Need to clarify the name…
Yes, we are interested in pretty gardens, such as these Hill Close Gardens in Warwickshire, but when we say ‘gardens’ we tend to be using it as a shorthand for the much wider reaching ‘historic designed landscapes’ [thanks to Jonathan Lovie for the pic]
Historic Landscape Project

6. Historic Landscape Project
We’re also talking about wider parkland such as Capability Brown one at Croome in Worcestershire
(Photo courtesy of Steffie Shields)
Historic Landscape Project

7. Historic Landscape Project
And all manner of designed landscapes including urban public parks, garden squares, cemeteries, institutional landscapes such as hospitals. This is Gulliford Burial Ground, Lympstone [thanks to Carolyn Keep of DGT for pic]
Historic Landscape Project

8. Municipal parks too - Victoria Park, Truro, Cornwall (Unreg) [thanks to Jonathan Lovie for the pic]

9. Historic Landscape Project
Also very interested in Setting, as you’ll know, that is the landscape around the actual park or garden that provides its backdrop, often very intentionally by design
Lyveden New Bield, Northants – in recent years have all been much preoccupied fighting a wind farm proposal that wasn’t in the actual garden but was in the views (setting) to and from Lyveden so would have had a massive impact
Historic Landscape Project

10. Historic Landscapes under Threat
Complex heritage assets
Many are undesignated
Lack of understanding causes loss of significance
Multiple physical threats, such as:
Neglect
Poor management
Development
Enabling development
Change of use
Prioritisation of wildlife conservation
I know conservation is your bread and butter, so I don’t want to teach granny to suck eggs, but just thought in 20 seconds would take a quick and very broad look at the kinds of threats that face historic designed landscapes in the 21st century. They have always faced dreadful threats, and this has not changed, although the precise nature of the threats may have changed over the recent years – now fewer golf courses and mobile phone masts, more solar and wind developments.
Historic Landscape Project
Presentation 1 Introduction

11. Statutory status
The GHS had a statutory involvement [Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and DETR Circular 01/2001] – planning authorities must consult with it on planning applications that may effect Grade I, II* and II sites on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest
The statutory status has now passed to The Gardens Trust
Let’s just take a look at the conservation role of TGT and CGTs.
Historic Landscape Project

12. How do we work the consultation process?
The Gardens Trust (TGT) is a statutory consultee. This obliges local planning authorities to consult with it on planning applications, but not necessarily to listen to its advice.
It receives consultation on planning applications relating to Grade I, II* and II landscapes.
It turns to CGTs for help – CGTs are not statutory consultees but their advice is invaluable so TGT primes local planning authorities to heed their comments.
CGTs respond to consultations, sometimes with TGT and sometimes referencing it in their letters.
The Gardens Trust (TGT) is a statutory consultee. This obliges local planning authorities to consult with it on planning applications, but not necessarily to listen to its advice.
It receives consultation on planning applications relating to Grade I, II* and II landscapes. In fact, these are some 1500 applications (we suspect we are only being consulted on 1/3 of what we should be), and TGT holds a tiny part time staff of Principal Conservation Officer, Assistant Conservation Officer and Casework Manager, to deal with it all.
It turns to CGTs for help – CGTs are not statutory consultees but their advice is invaluable so TGT primes local planning authorities to heed their comments. The main communication tool is compiling a weekly list of all its consultations, and forwarding this to CGTs to scan for cases relevant to them, and maintaining constant communication between ACO and CGTs.
CGTs respond to consultations – on a completely optional basis - sometimes with TGT and sometimes referencing it in their letters.
In 2016, at least 30 of 36 County Gardens Trusts are dealing with planning applications. Every CGT is different – some are just about commenting on the ‘big deal’ applications by calling in favours from supporters, whereas others have a team of volunteers for each district who have proper relationships with their lpas and even pick up on Unreg applications.

13. Historic Landscape Project
New planning leaflet
Need to introduce The Gardens Trust to local authorities
Need to restate the statutory consultee obligations
Need to ‘introduce’ the County Gardens Trusts and explain their role
New leaflet: ‘‘The Planning System in England and the Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens’’
Distribution to local authorities Spring/Summer 2016
Not surprisingly, over the years lpas have become confused about the statutory consultation situation, and who everyone is.
Therefore TGT is about to publish a leaflet to clarify roles, working relationships, obligations, and the position of historic parks and gardens in the planning system.
Hope to post copies to all HERs, and will make it available as a free online download. Will publicise via JISCMail. But do collar me now if you want to be sure of being on the mailing list.
Historic Landscape Project

14. Historic Landscape Project
Leaflet headings:
‘The Planning System in England and the Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens’
The Importance of Parks and Gardens
The Register
Statutory Consultation Requirements
Dealing with Planning Applications
Determining Significance
Checklist to assist LPAs in dealing with park and garden-related applications
Planning Policy
Other sources of Information
It will include explanation of how historic landscapes are designated (nationally and locally), introduction to TGT and reminder of statutory status and its implications, big plug for CGTs as working with TGT, details of how lpas should assess significance, plug for HER, where historic p&gs fit into NPPF, checklist of process that lpas should follow when assessing a planning application relating to a historic p&g.
Historic Landscape Project

15. Historic Landscape Project
Research
Researching local landscapes
Site survey and recording
Understanding significance - training
Writing up concisely, consistently, professionally
Local listing
HERs, PGUK
So that’s CGTs and planning. But I know you’re more interested in the research side of our work, and this is where CGTs are really strong.
CGTs are busy researching local landscapes that would otherwise go unrecognized (as well as ones of national importance).
This work includes days in the archives, but also involves walking the ground with a site survey and recording and an appreciation and noting of what survives in the landscape today as well as finding the details of its past.
CGTs and their research work are also at the forefront of the conservation move to ensure an understanding of the significance of sites – I’ll talk more about this in a bit.
And of course, what you’ll see about CGT research is that we are increasingly making sure that work is written up concisely, consistently, professionally.
Of course, CGTs do a huge amount of ongoing research work, but they also like to bundle things up into ‘projects’, as a great way of creating buzz and attracting volunteers. Currently lots are focusing on projects researching Capability Brown landscapes, for his Tercentenary festival in 2016, or 1WW gardening or memorial sites as part of the centenary. Walled Gardens are also attracting a lot of attention, with several, from Isle of Wight to Suffolk researching and publishing on walled gardens.
The HLP is also working really hard encouraging CGTs to put their research into the HERs with a Statement of Significance, and to treat this as a ‘project’ just like the others, as a way of getting fresh momentum and volunteers as well as having a great heritage outcome. More of this later.
Many CGTs have really close relationships with their HERs – Julia Wise at Bucks is a very active CGT supporter, Emma Trewithen in Cornwall heads the CGT resrach group, Notts GT is being resurrected by Virginia Baddesley of Notts HER, Beryl Lott of Lincolnshire HER is a LGT committee member, and following her retirement from the HER, Christine Addison is looking to revitalize the research and recording group of Northamptonshire GT. I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone!
Historic Landscape Project

16. Historic Landscape Project
*PK Stembridge Thomas Goldney’s Garden (1996) pp30 £3.50 ISBN
Peggy Stembridge Thomas Goldney, Man of Property (1991) ISBN *Stewart Harding and David Lambert Parks and Gardens of Avon (1994)
pp132 £7.95 p/b ISBN
*R Guilding Historic Public Parks: Bath (1997) with Bath and NE Somerset Council
pp76 p/b ISBN £5.95
*D Lambert Historic Public Parks : Bristol (2000) with Bristol City Council
pp72 p/b £5.95 ISBN
D Lambert Historic Public Parks: Weston-Super-Mare (1998)
pp56 £5.95 ISBN
Journal
[Planning a gazetteer for 2010]
*[Caversham Court Gardens: A Heritage Guide Friends of Caversham Court 2012]
 *Talking Heads: Garden Statuary in the Eighteenth Century (2007) 32pp A4
*Flowers in the Landscape (2008)
**The Gardens of Cambridgeshire: A Gazetteer (2002)ISBN
*John Drake Wood and Ingram A Huntingdonshire (2008) 260pp pb
ISBN £14.00
*Journal (2005 and 2008) annually since 1991
Sue Pring, Editor Glorious Gardens of Cornwall (1996) [gazetteer]
Occasional Papers Vol 1 (2002) *Steven Pugsley (Editor) Devon Gardens: An Historical Survey (1994) Alan Sutton in association with Devon Gardens Trust ISBN
 Todd Gray The Garden History of Devon: An Illustrated Guide to the Sources University of Exeter Press in association with Devon Gardens Trust (1995)
ISBN
A Short History of he Devon Gardens Trust ( )
*Journal No 1 (2008)
* Journal No 2 (2010)
* Journal No 3
 *Journal No 2 (January 2012)
*Journal No 3 (January 2013)
Fiona Cowell and G Green (Editors) Repton in Essex (2002)
*Angela Taigel Historic Designed Landscapes, Planning and Conservation Guidance (2003) A4 pp100 £17.50 ISBN
EGT Epping Forest District: Inventory of Designed Landscapes (2004 – unpublished)
*Twigs Way (Editor) Paper Landscapes: Archive Based Studies on Historic Gardens and Landscapes in Essex (2005)
*Twigs Way Rooted in Essex EG Trust Archive Research Group (2006) A5 Paper Places
*Twigs Way (Editor) The Living Landscape: Animals in the Parks and Gardens of Essex (2009) A4 pp90 p/b £10.00 ISBN (10 articles)
*Gill Hedley and Adrian Rance Pleasure Grounds: The Gardens and Landscapes of Hampshire Milestone Publications (1987) Catalogue of Exhibition at Southampton City Art Gallery in conjunction with Hampshire Gardens Trust ISBN
*Journal 24 (2005), 25 (2006), 26 (2007)
 *David Whitehead, Edited by Janet Patton A Survey of Historic Parks and Gardens in Herefordshire Hereford and Worcester GT (2001)
*Grant, Fiona and Patton, Jane (Editors) The Walled Gardens of Hereford with Logaston Press (2009) ISBN
 Richard Bisgrove Hertfordshire Gardens on Ermine Street (1996)
Patience Bagenal Hertingfordbury Park and its Links with the Bayfordbury Estate (2000)
*Hertfordshire GT and Tom Williamson The Parks and Gardens of West Hertfordshire
(2000) ISBN
Anne Rowe A History of Knebworth’s Parks (2005)
*Anne Rowe (Editor) Hertfordshire Garden History: A Miscellany University of Hertfordshire Press (2007) [Research work of Hertfordshire GT]
ISBN
A Presentation of Parks: a Survey of Amenity Parks and Gardens in Kent (date?)
*Elisabeth Hall Garden of England: Evolution of Historic Gardens in Kent n.d.
ISBN
Cemeteries and Churchyards (1996)
Funding London’s Heritage Landscapes (1997)
The Gardens of Canons (1997)
London’s Garden Suburbs (1998)
City Parks (1999)
The Gardens of Wanstead (1999)
London Views (2000)
Journal (annually since ?)
Gazetteer (2014)
Patsy Dallas, Roger last and TomWilliamson Norfolk Gardens and Designed Landscapes (2014)
*The Historic Deer Parks of Northamptonshire (2002) A3 folded leaflet
*The Walled Kitchen Gardens of Oxfordshire (2014)
 Historic Parks and Gardens of Shropshire Paul Stamper (? CGT publication – check!)
* Lois Hall (Editor) Walled Kitchen Gardens (2003) ISBN
*‘Pastime of Pleasure’: A Celebration of Suffolk Gardens from the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day Exhibition with Manor House Museum (2000)
 Guildford Borough Council for Surrey Gardens Trust Nature and Tradition: Arts and Crafts Architecture and Gardens in and around Guildford (1993)
*Joan Percy In Pursuit of the Picturesque: William Gilpin’s Surrey Expedition
(2001) ISBN
*Josey, Don and Saich, Dinah Broome Park, Betchworth; with a Bit about Ice-houses
(2005) ISBN
Mavis Batey (Editor) A Celebration of John Evelyn: Proceedings to Mark the Tercentenary of his Death (2007)
*Campden House (1994) 5pp A4
*Honington Hall (nd. 1995?) 7pp A4
*Radway Grange (2003) 7pp A4
*Wroxton Abbey (Oxon) (1997) 7pp A4
Journal ( ,*2005,*2006,*2007)
The Obelisks of Warwickshire (2013) ISBN pb
 Historic Gardens of the Vale of Glamorgan published by Welsh Historic Gardens Trust ISBN ; 2007, Edited by Hilary M. Thomas.
*Journal (Nos , 1997, 51 & , , )
 Helen Lazenby Plumpton Rocks, Knaresborough (1997)
*With Abundance and Variety: Yorkshire Gardens and Gardeners across Five Centuries
(2009) ISBN pp188 pb £18.25 from publisher inc p&p (£16)
David Palmer Historic Parks and Gardens of Ceredigion (2004)
Publishing
Many CGTs have been publishing their research on their websites and producing excellent books, such as these by Devon and Norfolk GTs.
Norfolk even went into second reprint of their new book on their county gardens.
These books are great, a real showcase for CGT work, but at the HLP we’re encouraging CGTs to find more joined-up outlets for their work now, so we can really maximise its usefulness... yes, I’m talking about you!
Historic Landscape Project

17. Conservation value of CGT research
National designation
Local designation through local list, especially if attached to a Local Plan
Historic Environment Records held by local authorities, which the National Planning Policy Framework requires planning applicants and local planning authorities to consult
Parks and Gardens UK (
Not just about books anymore – the kind of message that we are giving CGTs is that although we really really need CGTs to pick up planning application work, if they are nervous about doing this then they can rest assured that their research and recording work can also be channelled invaluably into having conservation value if it is used to inform designation (both on the National List , ie Register of Parks and Gardens, and as the basis of a local list), and inputted to the HER.
These headings are for the various destinations we are pushing for CGT research work.

18. www.parkandgardens.org (PGUK)
So you might have picked up on the last slide, the mention to parksandgardens.org – PGUK.
Don’t know if you’re familiar with PGUK? I have a leaflet on display, or “Parks & Gardens UK is the leading on-line resource for historic parks and gardens providing freely accessible, accurate and inspiring information on UK parks, gardens and designed landscapes and all activities concerned with their promotion, conservation and management.
Additional information and new sites are added as information becomes available. This website has no statutory authority with regard to planning or other permissions. Nor is the inclusion or absence of a site any measure of its historic significance”
Basically, it was set up almost 20 years ago with HLF funding and is a resource that the likes of CGTs have been putting their research into. As a result, it has information on thousands of parks and gardens, of both national and local interest.
It’s also the destination for specific ‘campaigns’ such as research on Capability Brown landscapes, or 1WW memorials.
Over the years, the HLP has been pushing PGUK as a good home for CGT research, alongside HERs, to make sure it doesn’t just go into a shoebox under the bed.
At the moment, PGUK is working on a new HLF application to hopefully review its future. One of the things they are thinking to develop is some kind of role between CGTs and HERs, perhaps being the intermediary so that research goes into PGUK but HERs can then link through. This would be good because a) it means CGTs just have one interface to liaise with, b) possibly simpler for HERs to manage as the data is already inputted, c) a ‘safe’ home whilst HERs are facing resource threats.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

19. Oxfordshire Walled Gardens Project
Focused project
New members
Reinvigorate research
Increase knowledge and skills
Add to records
Raise profile
Contribute to conservation in county
So let me just whizz through a few of my favourite CGT research and recording projects.
In April 2012 the OGT was awarded £50,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to research the walled kitchen gardens of Oxfordshire. 
The funding enabled them to hire a project co-ordinator, who recruited an enthusiastic band of volunteers to undertake the research, survey work and recording of these sites. The project was completed in July 2014 and has led to a much better understanding and appreciation of these often-neglected gardens, with a book and information on the gardens being available via the OGT website.
The initial research involved looking at historical maps and other archives and data sources, including aerial photography. This identified the location of over 200 walled kitchen gardens in the county, which was followed up with site visits to 89 of them, where owners allowed access, so that they could undertake condition surveys.  
Historic Landscape Project

20. Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust Project
These pics are of vols from Bucks GT, who used £10,000 from the HLF to gather a group of volunteers, train them, and research 20 sites in their county, with a view to putting them on the HER. They really took a lot of good stuff from the project for the CGT (revitalised, skills boost, new vols, publicity), as well as doing a good thing for heritage.
This is a model that we’re really encouraging other CGTs to try – its good for heritage and conservation, but also good for developing the CGT, and its not too far out of their comfort zone.
Historic Landscape Project

21. Kent Compendium Review Project
In the early 1990s, Kent Gardens Trust in association with Kent County Council produced a register of significant parks and gardens within the county (The Kent Gardens Compendium). This compendium has been of considerable benefit to the various planning departments in Kent in enabling them to identify sites which will need to be protected. This is common to many CGTs.
But KGT since felt that this register needed to be updated and formalised in greater detail, so embarked on the Kent Compendium Review Project. Since 2009, a group of volunteers have been trained to systematically research and record gardens identified as being of significant historical or social interest. Major gardens in the care of bodies such as the National Trust and English Heritage were excluded as they are already well documented, but all the reports are written up in an HE approved format and lodged with the HER. I’ve got an example entry on display here.
Volunteers have now looked at parks and gardens in the areas covered by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Sevenoaks District Council and the reports have been presented to the two councils and should provide valuable source material to the respective planning departments. They have also done some reports for Thanet District Council and are now engaged in a major project for Medway Council. They are very grateful to all the councils they have worked with for their support (which has often extended to finance).
Historic Landscape Project

22. Yorkshire Gardens Trust Selby District Research and Recording Project
Why Selby District?- possible threats – arable cultivation, flood defence improvements, expansion along road/ transport corridors and quarrying.
Liaising with Conservation Officer NYCC- 40 sites, prioritised 19, Blue first priority.
Range from country houses with large parklands, sites with monastic origins, smaller sites- vicarages.
Selby District Research and Recording Project
New Research and Recording Project
This is the second stage (after dealing with East Riding) in a long term project by YGT to research and record locally significant historic designed landscapes.
The information will be made available on PGUK, the HER and the YGT website
The Selby District was chosen because it encompasses a wide range of varied landscape character types and designed landscapes make a significant contribution to the diversity of the area. There are considerable threats to these areas from intensification of arable cultivation, flood defence improvements which convert land to arable, expansion within the infrastructure corridor and quarrying
Volunteers are looking at sites, depending on the volunteer help we receive
46 sites were considered but the final list of sites was chosen because of their potential significance, possible threats, availability of archive material and remaining historic features. All bar one are unregistered
For each site, a report on its historical development and a ‘Statement of Significance’ will be prepared, following research and a site visit.

23. Historic Landscape Project
So what do I want?
Long term: Let’s be friends and share information.
Medium term: Use the new Gardens Trust leaflet.
Today: Let’s make contact.
(East, East Mids, North)
(South, South West, West Mids)
Long term: All County Gardens Trusts having a friendly working relationship with their HER, using it as a source of material but also as a depository for their research.
Medium term: Please wait with bated breath for TGT’s new leaflet and when it arrives on your desk, share it around your office before keeping it constantly to hand.
Today: Please contact me or my colleague Caroline (SW, SE, West Mids) if we can put you in touch with your CGT. We are happy to sit in on a preliminary meeting, if that’s helpful.
Historic Landscape Project