Like other owners of historic properties, English Heritage is looking at the threats posed by climate change and how we, as an organisation, can help mitigate against the effects of climate change.
English Heritage manages approximately 2,660 hectares. Many are small sites of less than a hectare but English Heritage also cares for 31 designed landscapes registered for their special historic interest, and 30 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and many more areas of local nature conservation interest.
This section looks at some of the conservation issues that will need to be considered for English Heritage’s gardens and landscapes as sites of special historic interest as the effects of climate changes unfold. There are many other aspects that property managers, visitor operations managers and custodians will need to consider too.
English Heritage’s gardeners and landscape managers are already thinking about changes in plant growth and development, soils and winter water logging and summer droughts, and pests and diseases.
Growing seasons will change and the management of gardens will have to adapt. English Heritage’s Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment sets out guidance for our staff and others as to making such decisions.
As conservation management plans for each English Heritage garden or landscape are developed or reviewed, climate change issues will be addressed and these strategies will be developed further as climate change science becomes more predictive.
By clicking on the regional link on the left hand side, you can find information on:
- key English Heritage sites
- the climate change scenarios for each region in England
- the likely impacts of climate change for the key heritage features of each garden or landscape.
English Heritage commissioned UCL to advise on climate change and the historic environment including parks and gardens. UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage (2005) 'Climate change and the historic environment' . In partnership with UKCIP, The National Trust and others, English Heritage also commissioned Reading University to review the impacts of climate change on gardens in the UK.
The review covers the physiological basis of plant responses to climate change such as carbon dioxide, temperature and water; plant communities; and garden character including heritage gardens; garden management implications and research recommendations.
The 2002 technical report and a summary UKCIP (2002) Gardening in the Global Greenhouse. The impacts of Climate Change on Gardens in the UK are available from UKCIP.
