Why Make a Register?

The British are and have always been a nation of gardeners. The results of centuries of this love of working the soil and moulding the natural landscape may be seen in almost every parish in the form of the historic parks and gardens which make such a significant contribution to the richness of the local scene and to the diversity and pattern of the national landscape. From town gardens and public parks to the great country estates, such places are an important, distinctive, and much cherished part of our inheritance and we have a duty to care for them.

Historic parks and gardens are a fragile and finite resource: they can easily be damaged beyond repair or lost forever. In order to recognise the existence of those sites which are of particular historic importance, English Heritage is enabled by Section 8C of the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 (inserted by section 33 of, and paragraph 10 of Section 4, to the National Heritage Act 1983) to compile the Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.

The main purpose of this register is to help ensure that the features and qualities which make the landscapes so listed of national importance are safeguarded during ongoing management or if any change is being considered which could affect them. It is hoped that, by drawing attention to sites in this way, English Heritage will increase awareness of their value and encourage those who own them, or who otherwise have a role in their protection and their future, to treat these special places with due care.