Latest news from the Lancashire Gardens Trust Research & Recording Group

The group and its wider circle of researchers has now completed its task of validating all the sites in categories A to D of the Review of 1998, entitled Historic Designed Landscapes in Lancashire; this has involved locating each site, studying its historic map(s), going to check its present condition and adding some brief details, including a minimal landscape history. Over 200 sites have thus been covered, by a team of around 12 volunteers - no mean feat. The work so far has been generously funded by Lancashire County Council; with talk of cuts in local authorities, the future of the next phase lurks in the wings. In the meantime, Lancashire Gardens Trust continues with the next step, to identify those sites which merit in-depth study. This leads on naturally to the team's next task!

A method of categorisation

An initial meeting considered several methods devised by other heritage professionals, under the guidance of Peter Iles, county archaeologist for Lancashire. For the Heritage Environment Register a scoring system is used, and this model is being tested, using criteria suited to Historic Designed Landscapes. Much debate is underway, obviously. Criteria used by English Heritage for putting a site on their Register under Grades I, II* and II are not an exact science, and tend to be applicable to the sites with more important historic features. It will be more of a challenge to grade those sites which fall below the level of national importance. However we hope to elevate some to a higher level.

The Parks & Gardens UK Database

This has been set up by Parks and Gardens Data Services, a partnership between the University of York and the Association of Gardens Trusts, using the County Gardens Trusts to gather information, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Have you had a look at it? Just use your Search Engine and type in Parks & Gardens UK. There are hundreds of sites with descriptions and some pictures, and biographies of significant landscape designers. It is hoped that main details of our HDL project findings will wing their way into this database, which is open to all. It just needs many willing fingers to input it all! Offers will be very welcome.

So far Recording work has focused on (new) Lancashire. There was a Review of sites in Greater Manchester, conducted by English Heritage and involving a site visit, ascertaining of the current boundary, and site history. We have obtained a paper copy. We now know that a similar Review was done in Merseyside and have obtained a digital copy.

A new project is being discussed centred on the Forest of Bowland; named Landscape Histories, it is being planned by Lancashire County Council, and volunteers are being sought to go out into the field, possibly in spring 2011.

Written by: Nigel Neil and Elaine Taylor

Source: Lancashire Gardens Trust Newsletter, Issue 7, Autum 2010