In England, the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England safeguards the features and qualities of key landscapes for the future. It is hoped that listing sites of special interest will increase awareness of their value and encourage those who own them, or who have a part to play in their protection, to treat the sites with due care, whether this is a question of carrying out appropriate maintenance or making changes to the site.

1,450 sites are listed, both private and public and although the register grants no statutory protection, it is used in influencing management decisions, to improve public awareness of important parks and elements within them and to encourage their owners to preserve and maintain them. Registered sites include both the grounds large stately homes and small domestic gardens.

Gardening and landscape design have long been important preoccupations to the British and although a wealth of historic parks and gardens exist, they are a fragile and finite resource: they can easily be damaged beyond repair or lost forever.

The register is managed by English Heritage for England. It is not available through English Heritage online, but may be consulted at the National Monuments Record Centre in Swindon. The NMR can also provide copies of individual register entries on request.

Cadw maintains a register for Wales: the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

Eligibility

Eligibility for the register is based around documentary research and field survey which attempts to classify and date each park according to set criteria. These are:

• Parks and gardens with a main phase of development prior to 1750 even when only a small part is still evident.
• Sites with a main phase of development dating to between 1750 and 1820 where enough of the park or garden's landscape survives to reflect the original design.
• Sites with a main phase of development between 1820 and 1880 which is deemed important and survives relatively intact.
• Sites with a main phase of development between 1880 and 1939 where this is of high importance and survives intact.
• Sites with a main phase of development laid out between the Second World War, but are more than 30 years old, where the park or garden is of exceptional importance.
• Sites influential in the development of taste whether through repute or literary references.
• Sites which are early or representative examples of a style of layout, or type, or the work of a landscape architect of national importance.
• Sites with an association with significant people or historical events.
• Sites with strong group value, as with some Listed Buildings.

As with Listed Buildings, parks and gardens are graded on a scale, Grade I being internationally significant sites are therefore the most important and constitute around 10% of the total number. Historically important gardens are Grade II* (about 30% of the total) and the remainder are of regional or national importance and are Grade II registered.

See also

• List of sites on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
• English Heritage
• List of English Heritage properties
• List of heritage registers

External links

• Urban Parks on the Register as of March 2004
• National Database by University of York (note: incomplete)
• English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens home page
• Article on the Register
• Cadw page
• Guide to historic garden and heritage conservation