Owners and managers of thousands of historic parks and gardens, from Chatsworth to Kew, are being encouraged to take part in a new survey into how climate change is affecting them.

Historic England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund are commissioning new UK-wide research into how climate change is impacting historic landscapes, parks and gardens. We’re keen to hear from people managing historic gardens like Chatsworth, Sissinghurst, Powis Castle, Hillsborough Castle, Princes Street Gardens and Kew Gardens. Historic gardens employ over 32,000 people and contribute £2.9bn annually to the UK economy from international visitors alone. But these jewels of garden history are on the front line of climate change, with several already impacted by more abundant droughts, floods, high temperatures, new pests, new diseases and more frequent and violent storms.

The UK has over 2,700 historic landscapes, parks and gardens officially registered, but there is little guidance available for their owners and managers on how to adapt and prepare for escalating climate events. The new research will explore how these landscapes are being maintained and managed in response to the current threats and will develop a plan for what guidance and resources managers and owners need to plan and deal with them.

Drew Bennellick, Head of Land, Sea and Nature Policy at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: ‘The UK is the home of gardening and our historic landscapes, parks and gardens are world-renowned. We know some larger organisations are actively engaged in mitigation and adaptation for the future, but we want to find out if owners and managers are responding in a planned and managed way and if not, what help and support they might need.’

In January’s Storm Goretti, the historic garden at St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall lost 80% of its trees and Trewithen Gardens lost 25% of its mature trees, some of which were thought to be around 250 years old.  They join an increasing list of historic gardens which have suffered severe damage including The Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, Mount Stewart in County Down, Cragside in Northumberland and Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.   

The survey will help to provide an understanding of the current picture, drive the creation of new guidance and inform the Heritage Fund’s future approach to supporting historic landscapes, parks and gardens. Since 1994 the Heritage Fund has awarded over £2.2billion of National Lottery and other funding to 5,100 land, sea and nature projects across the UK. 

Gemma Woodfall from Historic England said: ‘While many historic buildings across the country are starting to prepare for the effects of climate change, we don’t know how many landscape and garden managers are preparing positively for the arguably more severe changes on their historic landscapes, parks and gardens. Our research will help to understand what gaps in support and guidance we need to fill.’

The survey can be found here: Tell us: is your historic park or garden prepared for the climate crisis? | The National Lottery Heritage Fund