Spring 2011

The re-launch of the Berkshire Gardens Trust website has provided us with an opportunity to keep members in touch with what is going on in the wider world of heritage related to our parks & gardens. Much of this activity, which is carried on in the background as far as many members of County Gardens Trusts are concerned, is part of the essential and continuous lobbying of the key ‘movers and shakers’ at a national and regional level. Such work is even more essential in the current economic and political climate, with initiatives like “Localism” and “The Big Society”.

I have been to a number of events recently, which have brought home to me how critical it is to have active Gardens Trusts throughout the country which establish and maintain relationships and strategic partnerships with appropriate, like-minded organisations in order to help protect, conserve and promote the wonderful parks and gardens which we all want to go on being able to enjoy and appreciate. This sort of activity can take many forms, from engagement at national to local level.

Berkshire Gardens Trusts is a member of the Association of Gardens Trusts, which maintains regular contact with English Heritage, key Government Ministers, the Garden History Society, the Garden Museum and the UK Parks & Gardens Database. A range of approaches are being employed to try and minimise the adverse effects which reductions in budgets and expenditure are otherwise likely to have on the open spaces, parks and gardens which mean so much to all of us. For example, in addition to the challenges facing our local authorities, English Heritage, which is responsible for listing buildings and registering parks and gardens to try and proect them, is due to have its budgets by over 30%, while the Department of Culture, Media & Sport always seems to be a target for governments seeking to reduce public expenditure. Similarly, those who open their houses or gardens to the public through the Historic Houses Association and also the National Trust, are also working hard to lobby those who make decisions so that they are aware of our concerns.

I was particularly amazed to hear recently from Gilly Drummond, President of the AGT, that local authorities do not have to provide open spaces for the public, let along maintain, develop and enhance them. Imagine Berkshire without the valuable ‘green lungs’ provided by such parks and gardens as Victoria Park in Newbury, Forbury Gardens and Caversham Court in Reading and Salt Hill Park in Slough, to name but a few across the County!. We therefore need to increase our efforts to research their history and prove to others how important and significant they are to everyone who lives and works in, or visits the Royal County. The same points were also made by TV presenter and journalist, Wesley Kerr, of the London Heritage Lottery Fund, at the Garden History Society’s Winter Lecture, as well as featuring in magazines, newspapers and other media.

By being a member of the Berkshire Gardens Trust you are already helping us to contribute to the vital work which is going on. For example, we have recently contributed to West Berkshire’s Historic Environment Action Plan and are considering our views on which locally important designed landscapes and associated significant sites should appear on Local Asset Registers which English Heritage is introducing via Local Authorities. If you are able to come to events or perhaps help in some way with the Trust’s developing research activity or have any expertise relating to planning issues or financial records, that would be even better!

Do let us know if you can help and any thoughts you have on what we should or could try to do to play our part in the months ahead.