1. Conserving Significance
Introducing Conservation Principles
[The target audience for this presentation is CGT volunteers who may have little or no knowledge of English Heritage Conservation Principles or understanding significance and why it is important in conservation of historic designed landscapes.
To deliver this presentation effectively, read Conservation Principles – Policies and Guidance for the sustainable management of the historic environment published by English Heritage 2008 – focus on the section on values in particular. You can use the Tait quote below or use your own illustration]
So, to begin:
The particular considerations needed for designed landscape conservation are conveyed well in the introduction to A A Tait’s 1990 book The Landscape Garden in Scotland :
“The landscape is perhaps one of the more fragile and ephemeral pieces of western art. More so than a picture or a building, for its inhabitants border country between ornament and utility where a lawn can so easily become a hayfield, a shrubbery a jungle, and a tree a piece of firewood. It can only survive where there is a temperate zone of vigilance, judgement and imagination and where a keen sense of tradition prevails.”
Thinking about what principles we should adopt when considering conservation and development of such landscapes we need to bear in mind these issues of ‘vigilance, judgement and imagination’ but not base this on a rigidity and determination to hold landscapes moribund and unable to respond to change, appropriately approached.

2. Conservation defined (EH)
The process of managing change to a significant place in its setting in ways that will best sustain its heritage values, while recognising opportunities to reveal or reinforce those values for present and future generations.
I want to start by establishing what is meant in this context by conservation.
Speaker’s italics
The second part of this definition is important in establishing that it is possible to make changes to landscapes and to take such opportunities to do so constructively.

3. Why use Conservation Principles?
Framework to:
Identify what is important in a historic designed landscape by being able to articulate what makes it important
Use this to compare relative importance of different features and areas of a landscape
Decide and demonstrate whether proposed changes would affect, positively or negatively, what matters in a designed landscape
You can use Conservation Principles as a framework to…
The EH Conservation Principles are intended to guide such decision-making. They provide 6 over-arching guiding principles and identify the values which a place may hold and how these can be used to understand its significance. Or put another way, it gives a framework to use to work out what matters in a landscape and why.
This presentation gives an introductory outline to this approach [not enough time to explore in depth]

4. The Concepts
Conservation Principles – the overarching framework for careful and considered management
Values – these describe the aspects or qualities of worth or importance that a place may have
These principles and values are then used to lay out processes for assessing the heritage significance of a place and managing change to significant places.
Significance – the sum of the cultural and natural heritage values of a place
I shall be outlining the Conservation Principles and their meaning; the different types of values with examples, and how this develops understanding of significance and how this can be assessed.

5. The Conservation Principles
Principle 1 – The historic environment is a shared resource Principle 2 – Everyone should be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment Principle 3 – Understanding the significance of places is vital Principle 4 – Significant places should be managed to sustain their values Principle 5 – Decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent and consistent Principle 6 – Documenting and learning from decisions is essential
[Each principle should appear on a click] Don’t intend to go into too much detail on these as most are self-explanatory:
1 – shared resource Reflects cumulation of our human activity; beliefs, traditions, and, particularly for landscapes, taste, plant introductions, social and political history
2 – everyone should be able to participate Whilst there are of course specialists required, we need to enthuse others and increase understanding and education in order that conservation is sustained
3 – understanding significance In understanding what is important about a place, we can make better judgements and decisions on its future
4 – significant places managed to sustain their values Once values and then significance of a place are understood, conservation management can contribute to ensuring that change is managed to look after these aspects for future generations
5 – Decisions Base decisions on clear (often expert) information and advice, proportional to the significance and potential impact at stake
6 – Documenting and learning We know the benefits of this for landscapes, eg in being able to track changes in the landscapes we study as someone has recorded it, having education resources available, making the history of a site publicly accessible – this also ties in well with ensuring information makes it on to the Historic Environment records and P&G UK database

6. Sum of all these = Significance
Understanding Values
Evidential value
Historical value
Illustrative
Associative
Aesthetic value
Design
Artistic
Fortuitous
Communal value
Commemorative and symbolic
Social
Spiritual
Sum of all these = Significance
These values can be applied to the landscape as a whole, and to its constituent parts.
The sum of these values applied to a place indicates its significance.
I’ll consider each of these briefly in turn with examples.

7. Pic of archaeology plan…
Evidential value The potential of a place to yield new evidence about past human activity
Pic of archaeology plan…
Evidential value relates to the potential of a place to reveal new information – what archaeological potential does a place have, for example?
This example shows Titsey Place in Surrey – exploration of a known scheduled monument has begun to reveal a potentially extensive villa complex, as yet only partially explored. Management of the landscape balances the need to protect the scheduled monument and other earthworks with the conservation of the historic parkland (the clump of trees needs removal in order to prevent the roots disturbing the Roman villa that has been investigated). The site assessment of the historic parkland has determined that the clump of trees does not contribute significantly to the historic parkland design.
This is an example of how many heritage assets still hold hitherto unrealised evidence – they have evidential value

8. Historical values Ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present
HISTORICAL
tends to be illustrative or associative
Whereas evidential value lies in the primary physical evidence that a place can yield for research purposes, historical value lies in the potential to tell stories about the past, or evoke a sense of what it might have been like to live in the past, for example. It tends to be illustrative or associative.
Associative value arises from association with a notable person, event, or movement because being at the place where something momentous happened can increase understanding of it. Many buildings and landscapes are associated with people, literature, art, music or film, for example. So Petworth has Associative Value in its connection with Turner.
JMW Turner benefited from the patronage of the 3rd Earl of Egremont who gave him a studio at Petworth House. The artist visited Petworth regularly until the Earl’s death in 1837 and produced 1,000 drawings to record the beauty of the place.
Illustrative value has the power to demonstrate some historical point, to narrate an historical story or to evoke the past.
This is an ice house in Greys Court, Oxfordshire – illustrating the means of managing cold storage in the 18th century, the structure having a relationship with estate water courses.
The second is a William Kent gate on the edge of a cricket pitch at a school in Surrey, the site of the ferme ornee of Philip Southcote, Woburn Farm. It illustrates the former use and design of the estate, being a relatively rare survivor of this passing but influential trend, the use of ornamentation in the farm landscape of the 18th century, as well as being an authentic example of the work of Kent. There is a Kent grotto extant nearby.
Associative
Illustrative

9. Aesthetic values Ways in which people draw sensory and intellectual stimulation from a place
A more familiar concept this one…
Aesthetic value arises from the sensory and intellectual interest of a place.
They can be the seemingly fortuitous outcome of the way in which a place has evolved and been used over time. For example, the seemingly organic form of an urban or rural landscape or an harmonious, expressive or dramatic quality in the juxtaposition of buildings and spaces.
They can be the result of the conscious design, primarily the qualities generated by the design of a building, park or garden.
[Fortuitous: unknown landscape (EH image)
Designed: Rousham, Oxfordshire / unknown parkland (EH image)
Fortuitous
Designed

10. Communal values The meanings of a place for the people who relate to it, or for whom it figures in their collective experience or memory
Hyde park 7/7
[It is of course optional how much of this commentary you choose to use to illustrate communal values]
Communal value derives from all the other meanings that people assign to a place. It is often expressed in a sense of belonging and can have a profound effect on local identity, and it is here that we touch on intangible and living heritage. EH sub-divides this into the commemorative, social and spiritual which can be helpful.
COMMEMORATIVE and symbolic values reflect the meanings that people draw from the place. These might be overt or they might need interpretation.
Perhaps an obvious use in the landscape is that of the creation of memorial gardens, symbolising a significant event. An example here is the 7th July 2005 memorial to the London bombings which has created an area in Hyde Park with an atmosphere of its own. Also, North Stoneham war memorial shrine in Hampshire, magnificently restored in 2010.
To illustrate SOCIAL value, I’ve used examples of urban parks and gardens and the Heritage Open Days programme.
Heritage Open Days celebrate England’s architecture and culture by allowing people free access to interesting places that are either not usually open, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Organised by volunteers - usually property owners or managers - for local people, Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest and most popular voluntary cultural event. Last year the event attracted around 1 million visitors.
Historic public parks were built as statements of civic pride originally and continue to provide a sense of place, fostering community spirit and enabling social interaction. Flexible and highly adaptable, they have the potential to meet the changing demands of modern society and they are accessible to all. Used by millions on a regular basis – over 296 million visits per year by all sectors of the community. This example shows Red Cross Garden in Bankside – recreated Octavia Hill garden re-opened in Careful re-introduction of a May Day festival with maypole dancing, as was known to have taken place in Octavia’ day, has fully established a much-loved annual local community event. These events have come to reflect an important sense of identity, place and continuity in the Garden. [photo courtesy of Bankside Open Spaces Trust]
SPIRITUAL value - Whilst churches and buildings of worship may seem the obvious example, spirituality in the designed landscape can also derive from symbolism and use of the landscape. Here the remains of Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, are incorporated into part of a wider historic parkland estate. And of course cemeteries hold spiritual and commemorative values for many, and are an important category of designed landscape [City of London cemetery is illustrated].
Commemorative
Social
Spiritual

11. Assessing Significance
Understand the fabric and evolution of the place
Identify who values the place and why
There isn’t time here to explore this fully so I shall give an overview of the approach the EH advocate. More detail is given in the publication itself, and this section is relatively digestible. [Each line appears on a click]
1st bullet: Having established the principles with which to approach conservation, it is clear that understanding the historic development, influences and cultural associations of the designed landscape is fundamental, along with an appreciation of what is not yet known.
With this understanding, values can be linked to the landscape as a whole, and to its constituent parts.
This develops understanding of its significance, both as a whole, and of its constituent parts.
2nd bullet: Those who value the place could include specialists, visitors, residents – why they value the place might not be immediately obvious eg a cemetery as a local open space for leisure, a landscape view from a seminal music album.

12. …Assessing Significance
Relate identified heritage values to the fabric/features of the place
Consider the relative importance of those identified values
Consider the contribution of associated objects and collections
Consider the contribution made by setting and context
There isn’t time here to explore this fully so I shall give an overview of the approach that EH advocates.
More detail is given in the publication itself, and this section is relatively digestible. [Each line appears on a click]
RELATE and CONSIDER RELATIVE IMPORTANCE bullet: Consider how the constituent parts of the landscape have value, whether it be evidential, historical, aesthetic, or communal. Which of these is particularly important ie are there values that the site demonstrates which are on an international / national / regional / local scale? Does a landscape demonstrate the development of a style which became nationally important?
CONSIDER ASSOC OBJECTS: In looking at associated objects and collections (archives) – where these are of high quality and verify field or documentary evidence, this supports the importance of what is extant. They might also be art collections, literature etc
CONSIDER SETTING: Consider setting and context: this could of course be extensive for a landscape eg if it ‘borrows’ views from beyond its boundaries.

13. …Assessing Significance
Compare the place with other places sharing similar values
Articulate the significance of the place
COMPARE with other places - Consider how far this site demonstrates strongly, or even relatively uniquely, the values identified. Designation gives some indication (but isn’t helpful to state without expanding on why it should be considered so) – if not designated, how does it compare to these national criteria? P&G UK database is increasingly useful when comparing features as you can ‘sort’ entries to produce for example, other sites with prospect mounds, or dovecotes etc. If not of national interest, it might display regional or local characteristics of value.
ARTICULATE SIGNIFICANCE; Perhaps the hardest part: to bring all this together and articulate the significance of the site. In Conservation Management Plans this is included as a Statement of Significance. The statement explains relatively succinctly the what, how and why of the values that can be attributed to a landscape. It might be helpful to think of it as a ‘reasoned explanation’. It is this statement that can be used to guide judgements made about the future management and development of a place.

14. How can this relate to the work of CGTs?
Understanding and applying these principles can be used to
help assess the impact of development on a landscape
decide whether a developer has complied with the requirements of PPS5 to assess significance
articulate the case for local listing of a landscape
pinpoint what is important to convey about a site in visits, research reports, leaflets etc
Finally, we’ll look briefly at what use this can be for CGTs:
-Can look at aspects of the potential impact of development both from the perspective of the overall site and particular areas or features of the site – what effect do the proposals have on the values and therefore significance of the landscape? Is a lost feature (e.g. clump of trees, avenue, eyecatcher) of such importance in the landscape that consideration should be given to its restoration?
PPS5 is (currently) the key planning document relied upon for developments affecting historic designed landscapes – the developer is required to lay out the impact of the proposals on the significance of the site. If they cannot identify what is significant about the site this leaves it vulnerable to erosion and loss.
Local listing considers landscapes of local significance – in the same way that an application for a site to be nationally designated would need to have a case made for it against certain criteria, so for local listing. We need to be clear what is significant about a site that makes it important at a local level
Education and researched information can have a greater impact if the key ‘hooks’ of a site, what makes it special, are drawn out – ie why should people care about this landscape?

15. Tools to help Feature Evidential Historical Aesthetic Communal Temple
Avenue
Tree clump 1, 2 , 3 etc
View to tower
Lake
Northern park
Optional – but you could choose a local site with a few key features and start to analyse the individual features by breaking them down in a table, weighing them up against each of the values and making a few notes against each. This example is purely hypothetical but you could work through a locally relevant example.