Climate Change and English Heritage's Historic Gardens and Landscapes

Like other owners of historic properties, English Heritage is looking at the threats posed by climate change and the impact of adaptation responses; and how we, as an organisation, can help mitigate against climate change.

English Heritage manages approximately 2,660 hectares.  Many are small sites 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 of local nature conservation interest.

This web page 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.

This web page looks at 15 sites, the climate change scenarios for each region in England, and the likely impacts of climate change for the key heritage features of each garden or landscape.  

There are two reports which set the scene for climate change and historic parks and gardens:

UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage (2005) Climate change and the historic environment

UKCIP, (2002) Gardening in the Global Greenhouse. The impacts of climate change on gardens in the UK.

English Heritage has updated and replaced its position paper: Climate Change and the Historic Environment