English Heritage has important interests in the development of policy on the landscape.  In particular:

• We are concerned with the designation of designed landscapes through our registers of historic parks and gardens and battlefields.
• We work with local authorities and partner agencies to  define and conserve historic aspects of the wider landscape through our Historic Landscape Characterisation programme.
• We undertake strategic survey, such as our National Mapping Programme, which enhances our understanding of the development of Today’s landscape and its management needs.
• In addition, we work in partnership with those responsible for managing England’s finest landscapes -  its National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

 

England's Finest Landscapes

England's 7 National Parks and 37 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) cover a total 22% of England’s land area.  As well as being high quality landscapes, National Parks and AONBs provide a major repository for some of our most important historic sites.  AONBs alone contain over 48,000 listed buildings, more than 4,600 nationally important ancient monuments and in excess of 300 designated historic parks and gardens.

Although our activity covers all of the countryside, English Heritage has developed special relationships with the protected areas.  In 2004 we reinvigorated our 1995 Accord with the National Parks (PDF) and, jointly with Cadw, signed a wholly new Accord with the National Association for AONB (PDF).

To mark over 10 years of joint working, English Heritage, the Countryside Agency (now Natural England) and the English National Park Authorities produced the publication called A Landscape Legacy: National Parks and the Historic Environment.

In December 2004 English Heritage, Cadw (the national heritage agency for Wales) and the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) signed the first joint Accord on the historic environment.  The Accord represents a commitment by the three organisations to work in partnership in order to promote the conservation, understanding, and public enjoyment of the heritage in AONBs.

To celebrate the signing of the Accord in May 2005 we jointly published a publication called Outstanding Beauty: Outstanding Heritage - AONBs and the Historic Environment.  The publication celebrates some of the excellent historic environment work taking place within AONBs in England and Wales.

We would like to produce a similar publication celebrating the work taking place within National Parks in the future.

For downloadable copies of the publications above, please go to www.helm.org.uk