Gardens Trust takes education online
Online lectures start on 23 June with courses to follow
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Online lectures
While lockdown might be easing a little, it's clear that some restrictions are going to be with us for some time to come. So, for now, we are moving as many of our educational activities as possible online, including lectures, courses and our well-established conservation training programme. Our programme begins on 23 June with a light-hearted look at the history of the garden gnome followed by weekly lectures until the end of July. Each lecture will be given live on Tuesday at 10am and again on Wednesday at 6pm. Topics include garden buildings for animals, a history of garden tools and the elephant in the garden! (Photos © David Marsh). Read more on our website
Dr David Marsh is giving the lectures pro bono and we would like to thank him for taking up the challenge of both organising and giving our first series of online lectures. These initial lectures are free but we welcome donations to support our work protecting historic parks and gardens. The Trust's events and education programme normally contributes between £10K and £20K to our revenue annually. That might not sound much, but it's a big chunk of the funds we need to maintain our work. Donate online here
Courses and HLP training
Forthcoming courses include an Introduction to Garden History in August, and a course on the History of Plants. The Historic Landscape Project have already been supplying online training resources to County Garden Trusts, and are planning to run online events by the end of the summer. They plan to continue providing online resources as not everyone can attend HLP events. Keep an eye on our events page for more news soon.
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A huge thank you to all our volunteers
We simply couldn't exist without all the volunteers who help the Gardens Trust and County Gardens Trusts around the country to protect historic parks and gardens. To mark Volunteers' Week 2020, we asked a few of these generous people to tell the stories of why they volunteer, the projects they've enjoyed and their favourite garden or landscape. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the many others who volunteer alongside them. Read volunteer stories
(Photo: Elaine Taylor and other Lancashire Gardens Trust members planting foxgloves in Rivington Terrace Garden).
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Conservation news
The Friends of Elvaston Castle in Derbyshire have contacted the Gardens Trust about their fears for the future of the gardens at Elvaston. These 19th century topiary and rockwork gardens are registered Grade II*, but are now threatened by a new masterplan which includes building a road, housing and car parks.
The Gardens Trust’s Conservation Officer, Margie Hoffnung, said: “the estate is becoming increasingly run down, with the local council’s revenue raising plans at variance with that of the friends’ group. The GT would be concerned about a new access road through the Grade II* Registered Park and Garden to service the development plans of the local authority.”
Find out how you can help save Elvaston gardens here
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New home for CMPs
Over the coming months we will be transferring the Gardens Trust’s bibliography of Conservation Management Plans to OASIS, a UK-wide online database. We are delighted that our list of CMPs will have a long-term home that will feed this important information directly into the planning system through local Historic Environment Records (HERs). If you have CMPs that you would like us to add to the OASIS project please contact us by 27 July. Read more
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AGM and New Research Symposium
Arrangements for the AGM will be announced shortly. The New Research Symposium will take place by webinar. This year our four speakers are based in Brussels, Gothenburg, London and Sheffield, with topics ranging from managing historic gardens to the 18th century picturesque garden. Look out for synopses of their talks and speaker biographies in the forthcoming GT News. Read more here: New Research Symposium
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Campaign
The Gardens Trust supports the decision by London Parks and Gardens Trust to launch a judicial review to stop Government approving its own project to build on a public park. The photos above show Victoria Tower Gardens during lockdown, and how it will look after the proposed project. The Government have called in the development, enabling them to over-ride the views of residents, heritage bodies and Westminster City Council. If you agree that this development should be subject to independent planning decision-making please donate to the LPGT Crowdjustice campaign.
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Conserve
Good news from Thurrock Council, who have decided not to go ahead with proposed development on the green at Humber Avenue/Garron Lane, following intervention from our Conservation Officer in support of local residents. Green spaces like this are so important to local communities. As one resident said: "this green is our back garden".
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Research
Twigs Way has blogged about the research carried out by the Land of the Fanns project. The Gardens Trust ran training workshops for volunteers, enabling them to research and record 55 features of designed landscapes ranging from pocket parks and children's playgrounds to 18th century parkland and patches of woodland. (Photo © Sonia Dewell) Read the blog
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CGT News
In the latest newsletter from Yorkshire Gardens Trust, Jill Sinclair tells the story of the campaign to save Sheffield's street trees over the last couple of years. Thousands of mature, healthy trees were being felled as part of a highways maintenance contract, despite protest from residents, tree experts, politicians, ecologists and heritage groups. Find out how campaigners stopped the felling here.
Essex Gardens Trust have sponsored a 'People's Choice Award' for Landscape architecture and garden design at the Writtle University College end of year Design Show. See the winners and the virtual exhibition here.
If your CGT has news to share, please get in touch.
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