Historic Parks and Gardens

Historic Parks and Gardens 2006

This volume forms part of the register of gardens and parks of special historic interest.  It has been compiled by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, who are required by statute* to send copies of all entries to owners and occupiers, to the relevant local planning authorities and to the Secretary of State for the Environment.

The register has been produced to draw attention to important historic gardens and parks as an essential part of the nation's heritage.  If their existence is not widely enough known, they could all too easily be overlooked, for example in plans for new development.  The Commission believe that the register will be helpful both to owners, and to planners, developers, statutory bodies and indeed, to all those concerned to protect the heritage.

No new controls apply to gardens or parks in the register, nor are existing planning or listed building controls affected in any way.  Some of the gardens contain or are associated with buildings that are on the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.  Neither the statutory listing of these buildings nor the planning controls that apply to them are affected by the fact that the same buildings are mentioned in the register of gardens.

The fact that a garden is included in the register does not mean that there is any public right of access, other than along public rights of way or unless the property is separately advertised by the owner as being open to the public.

Only gardens and parks with historic features dating from 1939 or earlier are included in this register.  Additions since that date have not been extensively described in the register, nor have such additions been taken into account in the selection and grading of the gardens, since this register indicates the gardens' special historic interest.