Register of Parks and Gardens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In England, the Register of Parks and Gardens is a list maintained by English Heritage of significant open spaces which have historical interest in their design.
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.
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 suurvives 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 literay 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.
