Public Parks and Open Spaces

Many of our best loved parks and open spaces are of historic importance. The nationally important ones are registered, others are part of Conservation Areas and many contain listed buildings and structures. These special places are the heart of our urban environments yet the Public Park Assessment (2001) report showed that our urban parks are in serious decline.

English Heritage has signed up to the Manifesto for Better Public Places, www.itsyourspace.org.uk, as it is committed to improving our historic parks, cemeteries, garden squares, other public spaces. English Heritage works with Department for Communities and Local Government, CABE Space, Heritage Lottery Fund and the other agencies and organisations such as GreenSpace in championing our historic open spaces.

On this site you will find information on the history of our parks and open spaces including a story of public parks reflected through postcards from c1900 to 1910, a list of registered parks and gardens, research reports and conservation management initiatives, and links to other key web sites.

Looking after our public parks

English Heritage supports CABE Space’s Parkforce Campaign; Both English Heritage and CABE Space believe that skilled staff are key to the regeneration and long term success of our public parks and green spaces. Many of these parks are of national and local historic interest. English Heritage’s The Park Keeper provides an insight to the history of these staff, and the botanic and historic gardens skills deficit is mapped in new research.