Agenda item

To be presented by Claire de Carle from the Bucks Gardens Trust.

Clare De Carle, Bucks Garden Trust gave a presentation on historic landscapes in Buckinghamshire.

The following points were highlighted:

• The Bucks Garden Trust was working with Buckinghamshire Council to produce the local heritage list. In February 2021 the government provided funding for the pilot project with twenty-two authorities selected including Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Councils.
• The Trust had worked closely with the Council over the past two years to research and record findings. A team of volunteers and officers met regularly to review local heritage sites and produce a website featuring public nominations.
• The Bucks Garden Trust celebrated its 25^th anniversary last year and the presentation highlighted some of the stunning gardens in Bucks including Wormsley walled garden, Langley Park, Turn End Haddenham and Chenies Manor Gardens.
• The 1998 local register review reported there were 400 parks in Buckinghamshire. The data was based on the pre1974 boundary with five areas listed. Due to the elongated shape of the county volunteers were needed in the south and north to assist with their Research and /recording Project. In 2013 over 100 sites were researched which feature on the Trust’s website, this project has now been scaled back after ten years.
• The presentation highlighted a map of the north and central planning areas, historic parks and gardens in the county. ‘A list’ gardens had largely been reviewed as they covered bigger areas of greater interest. Areas which were affected by HS2 were also prioritised as they were most at risk of development. ‘B list’ areas were reviewed in less detail and were examined for sites of interest.
• An example of a completed research dossier produced for each site assessed was highlighted. Site visits were encouraged alongside online research, checking archives and writing to land owners. In addition, aerial views and OS mapping software was useful to determine the boundaries of historic designed landscapes.
• Buckinghamshire has a wide variety of designed landscapes. The presentation highlighted the different types of gardens with pictures as examples. The arts and crafts gardens included Chalfont Park, Newlands Park, Rignalls, Little Hailings in Denham. Town house gardens which were often smaller with vast history included Princes Risborough Manor House, Amersham Museum herb garden, Orchard House Olney and Discover Bucks Museum Aylesbury. Cemeteries and crematoria gardens were often designed landscapes and included Aylesbury, Wycombe Cemetery and Chilterns Crematorium. Workplace gardens included Chalfont Park, Sefton Park Country House, The Bury in Chesham and Lowndes Park. Trees in arboretums included Priest Field arboretum near Kingshill, Winslow, Buckingham and Haddenham. Public parks included Woollen in Milton Keynes and Lowndes Park Chesham. Artists gardens were often privately owned and site visits were more challenging. Examples included Mary Sargent Florence Lords Wood, Jo Piper’s House Fawley, John Nash’s Woodlane House in Iver and Alexander Jameson’s Burnside in Weston Turville.
• The Garden Trust were supporting Buckinghamshire Council with planning applications. The Trust is a national body and statutory consultee for national parks and gardens. Key developments the Trust were advising on locally were Grendon prison, Stoke Park, Stowe and Dropmore.
• The Trust were assessing sites for the local heritage list including Gipsy House, Roald Dahl’s house in Great Missenden, Hitcham House in Burnham, Vale Park in Aylesbury, Castle House in Buckingham and a number of other properties.
• The ‘B List’ sites of interest were being assessed by volunteers. The Coppins in Iver was frequented by the royal family and requires further investigation. In addition, the link between the garden designer Percy Cane and the Germains in Chesham was being investigated.

A member queried why garden kitchens were not included as part of the categorisation of gardens. Kitchen gardens were often part of the larger garden and there were very few left as many were sold or developed over. There was no reason why a kitchen garden couldn’t be added to the heritage list.

A member asked how many of the gardens listed were open to the public for viewings. It was highlighted not many gardens were open to the public as they were part of private houses however, the National Garden Scheme would show local gardens that could be open for the day. The Garden Trust do advertise gardens available to visit and certain charities host open days too.

It was advised Fenny Stratford Cemetery in Milton Keynes is on the local heritage list.

Members were encouraged to check the local heritage list map which includes gardens, buildings and archaeology sites Map - Buckinghamshire's Local Heritage List (local-heritage-list.org.uk).