Publications
The Park Keeper
CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)'s new report - Parks Need Parkforce - argues that a return to the days of on-site staff is essential to maintain and accelerate the remarkable revival seen in many neighbourhood parks over the last 10 years. CABE is calling on the Home Office to expand the remit of the 25,000 promised new community support officers to include park patrols, and to encourage this through its guidance to Police Authorities. CABE also urges every local authority in England to sign a pledge to develop and sustain investment in the people who care for their public spaces, building a skilled ‘parkforce'. Local authorities have also been asked to adopt a new ‘parkforce' identity for all their existing park staff and volunteers. The report charts the emergence of this new modern ‘parkforce', made up of wardens, rangers, youth workers, volunteers and environmentalists that are bringing about a revival of England's parks. Combining the knowledge and pride of the traditional parkie with a wide range of new skills, (such as fundraising, community policing and environmental skills) the new ‘parkforce' can reduce cultural and racial tensions, cut incidents of anti-social behaviour and vandalism and empower communities to become more involved in their own green spaces. English Heritage supports CABE's Parkforce campaign and has issued this 20-page leaflet charting the history of the park keeper.
Farming the Historic Landscape - Caring for historic parkland
This leaflet has been designed to help farmers, land managers and farm advisers identify historic parkland features and ensure their conservation through appropriate management
Download Farming the historic landscape: Caring for Historic Parkland [Pdf]
Parks Need People- The skills shortage in parks: a summary of research
New Research, commissioned by national environmental and green space agencies highlights that the professionals who plan, manage and maintain our parks, are a dying breed.
Download Parks Need People from the CABE Space web page [Pdf].
Published 2002
ISBN 0954266307
144 page full colour publication
Published in 2002 by the Urban Parks Forum, now a part of GreenSpace, the Public Park Assessment was a survey of local authority owned parks, focusing on parks of historic interest.
English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Countryside Agency and the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions funded this study.
The Public Park Assessment is the first major report on the state of the nation's public parks. It has produced major findings on: land types; land use; finance; condition and trend in condition; the effectiveness of conservation designations and visitor numbers.
To obtain a copy of the Public Park Assessment, please contact GreenSpace.
Streets for All: a Guide to the Management of London's Streets
English Heritage's streetscape manuals, Streets for All, set out principles of good practice for street management - such as reducing clutter, co-ordinating design and reinforcing local character. The eight manuals, covering each of the English regions, provide inspiration and advice on street design which reflects the region's historic character. These will be available on the website over the next month.
Further information is available from our Streets For All web page.
Managing Local Authority Heritage Assets - Some Guiding Principles for Decision-Makers
Endorsed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this guidance is intended for the key decision makers responsible for the funding and care of council-owned heritage assets - local authority portfolio holders, corporate property officers, conservation specialists, facilities managers and corporate estate architects and building surveyors. The aim of the guidance is to promote and encourage appropriate standards in the management of these assets and high quality design in new work related to them.
A PDF summary (45k) of the findings is available to download.
Making it Safe - Post-Conference Report
Featuring Enhancing historic landscapes and improving social amenity.
Jon Livesey, English Heritage's National Security Advisor, presented this paper during the Greater London Authority Making it Safe conference. A transcript of this paper is available to download [Pdf].
Making it Safe was funded and sponsored by the Government Office for London, Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. It was organised by the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum and GreenSpace, and supported by English Heritage.
Ancient Tree guides
English Heritage has supported the Ancient Tree Forum to produce guidance on the veteran trees. The leaflets are available as pdfs from the Ancient Tree Forum.
Cultivating Skills in historic and botanic gardens
Research funded by English Heritage and partners, has been published by Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based sector, which represents the training and development interests of over 230,000 businesses. The report highlights skills and careers issues for the sector and the conservation of historic and botanic gardens.
For further information and access to relevant pdf reports, go to our Botanic and Historic Gardens Skills Crisis web page.
Good Parks Guide (2006-2007)
The Good Parks Guide is the ultimate compendium of over 500 sites of the best public, countryside, urban and historic parks in the UK.
Supported by English Heritage, this illustrated full-colour book compiled by GreenSpace in conjunction with the RHS and published by Think Books will encourage people to get out and make the best use of their local and national parks and green spaces. The guide includes descriptions of each park, outlining history and key features, events and attractions.
Speaking at the launch, Gilly Drummond, English Heritage Commissioner and Patron of GreenSpace, said: “For a nation who loves their parks and green spaces, this invaluable guide is proof positive that so many have now upped their standards of care quite magnificently. Better facilities, great interpretation of their history and wildlife, and above, all, cleaner, safer and greener, these beautiful places are wonderful places to be, for quiet enjoyment or fun with family and friends. The Heritage Lottery Fund, the Big Lottery Fund, English Heritage, CABE Space, the Royal Horticultural Society and especially GreenSpace have done us and our parks proud!
“The Good Parks Guide will get you there whether it is for a stroll through an undiscovered gem on your doorstep or a day out in a big country park.”
The guide is available at book stores or through GreenSpace.
Parks and Gardens: A researcher's guide to sources for designed landscapes -
The third edition of the Landscape Design Trust’s popular handbook* , published May 2006 with the support of English Heritage, presents an invaluable introduction to and summary of printed and documentary sources in Britain for those seeking to research the history of a particular designed landscape. It provides an excellent starting point to a research programme, describing the main types of sources, the principal repositories and offers pointers for the online researcher.
Relevant to parks, cemeteries and other types of designed landscape as well as gardens, this new edition will provide an indispensable tool for those putting together grant applications as well as those simply wanting to know more about a particular place or interested in restoring a local landscape.
Copies can be ordered from the Landscape Design Trust or email subs@landscape.co.uk
*Previously published as Researching
Museum of Demestic Design and Architecture (2007): The Suburban Landscape. 200 years of gardens and gardening.
For more information on this publication go to our Suburbs page
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