HAMPSHIRE GARDENS TRUST

Background and Aims

From 1981 onwards, Hampshire County Council (HCC) took stock of the historic parks and gardens of the County, which includes the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, created in 1996. In 1984, the Hampshire Gardens Trust was formed as a direct result of the County’s earlier work.

One of the main aims of the Trust is ‘To help care for Hampshire’s gardens and parks at risk from neglect and inappropriate development’. The Trust acts as an independent assessor in giving advice, assessing the attributes of a site, working in partnership with the authorities, owners, and local representatives, and when requested giving proposals for changes. In some instances, the Trust is able to give grants to prepare a plan, or help retain, or re-create, a particular noteworthy feature or area. In these cases the Trust encourages the establishment of a realistic Management Plan. Our aim is not to deter development, but ensure that any future development is sympathetic to the park’s or garden’s historic roots.

In 1994, the Landscapes and Gardens Department at the University of York set up a database to record the Historic Parks and Gardens of England and Wales. All of the English Heritage sites were entered on this database. The database was designed to assist with research and the potential of having a central database was realised by the University, who allowed the County Gardens Trusts and the Counties to obtain copies, which at the same time ensured their database was updated. The Hampshire Gardens Trust and the County used the database to start to build up the current Database about the local historic parks and gardens, recording what was once there, what has been lost, and what survives.

In June 2000, the County and the Trust produced the Hampshire Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, which is a working list of recorded sites. All have been added to the Database and sites from the list are the priority for our research. It is hoped that many of these sites will be noted on any development plans, and used in historical assessments. It is important to remember that the research findings are available to the County, Unitary Authorities and Districts for any planning proposals, or for other research purposes.

With the aid of a Lottery Grant in 2006, a new National Database of Historic Parks and Gardens is being created by York University in conjunction with the Association of Gardens Trusts. This will be available to the public and will contain many of Hampshire’s registered sites submitted by the Research Group.

The criteria for selecting sites to be researched are enclosed in Appendix A. A list of reasons for, researching, recording and surveying have been collated and is in Appendix B

Where are we now?

From the inception of the Trust there was a very small team of researchers, which mainly investigated the larger sites, and sites where developments have been proposed. In March 1999, a Research Committee was formed to help with this activity, and their function is as follows:

In relation to Researchers:

1. pooling ideas on sources of information

2. providing training

3. providing support

4. recruiting new members

5. organising meetings/visits to help with research, and give a greater understanding of garden history.

In relation to the Research:

1. prioritising the research

2. keeping track of what is being researched

3. providing updates on latest developments

4. ensuring there is consistency in the research approach

The Research Committee is now a Research Group of some 25 members. Not everyone does research, some of our members are ‘experts’ in their field and are there to advise us. Researching can be a lonely task so during the more clement months visits are arranged every two months while in the winter we have a Training Day and our AGM. The main purpose of these regular meetings is to keep in touch, provide a forum for training, exchanging and discussion ideas, and planning our future programme.

APPENDIX A

The Hampshire Gardens Trust

Proposed criteria for considering sites for the Local Hampshire Register of Parks and Gardens

In order to clarify the criteria for recommendation, dates have been included, and examples given.

The dates given in criteria 2 - 5 reflect the main trends in the development of landscape design; as such they provide a flexible guidance rather than a rigid framework.

Sites of sufficient historic interest to merit inclusion on the Register include:

• sites with early historic landscape features, i.e. water meadows, deer parks, wood pasture, earth works, e.g. Dogmersfield.

• sites formed before 1820 where there is still evidence of at least a proportion of the original layout e.g. Eaglehurst and Luttrells Tower.

• sites laid out between 1820 and 1880 where enough of the layout survives to reflect the original design e.g. Efford.

• sites laid out between 1880 and 1920 which survive intact or relatively intact e.g. Hollyhill.

• 1920 onwards - sites of importance that survive intact, or have been created recently

e.g. King John’s Garden.

Age is not the sole consideration and attention is also paid to:

• sites which were influential in the development of taste, whether through reputation or reference in literature e.g. Jane Austen at Chawton; Augustus John at Fryern Court (previously Pryors Court).

• sites that are early, or representative examples of a style of layout, or the work of a designer of local importance e.g. Inigo Triggs of Petersfield - Bramshott Rectory originally Hailie: or association with significant families, person, event, or Horticultural interest e.g. Gilpin.

• group value or contribution to distinct, local landscape e.g. Horndean Villas.

• represent particular communal, social, industrial or military landscapes e.g. Haslar Hospital.

APPENDIX B

Reasons for researching, recording and surveying

Hampshire’s Historic Parks and Gardens

Aim – To help everyone, of all ages, to recognise the value of historic parks and gardens and their contribution to the landscape; and to enable their protection and conservation.

Survey, research and recording is undertaken to:

• identify and conserve historic parks and gardens endangered by neglect or inappropriate development

• ‘stock take’ and identify ‘hidden treasures,’ and identify where further research is required

• inform proposals for change and development, mitigating its impact and capitalising on opportunities for restoration and conservation

• enable their accurate restoration, conservation and management
• understand the development of the landscape, in relation to other natural and human processes, features, social connections and developments

• analyse the historic landscape by identifying and abstracting specific aspects e.g. features, periods, styles, types, designers; and note their survival and rarity

• inform the understanding and presentation of the landscape; and promote public interest, appreciation and participation in specific sites, and their use as a resource for education, recreation and tourism

• develop planning policies and identifying specific sites and their boundaries for protection within local plans

• identify local characteristics and features that contribute to local distinctiveness

• understand the practicalities of establishing and maintaining historic landscapes

23/11/07