More research is needed into history and historic context, EH argues
English Heritage has launched its National Review of Research Priorities for Urban Parks, Designed Landscapes, and Open Spaces Final Report to coincide with the publication of the the Heritage Lottery Fund report State of UK Public Parks 2014: Renaissance to risk?
Described by English Heritage as ‘a contribution to the discussion on public parks,’ the report is available to download here.
Author Katy Layton-Jones provides insights from the perspective of a cultural historian, lecturer and consultant who has worked with local parks groups and as a park user. It represents over nine months of discrete research in addition to the author’s existing expertise and experience in the sector.
Rather than attempting to evaluate ‘the myriad management strategies employed in parks over the past two centuries,’ the report focuses on research into the history and historical context of these sites. ‘While the historical significance of these landscapes is being challenged,’ it notes, ‘the need for English Heritage to research the history and reassert the historical and contemporary significance of urban parks and designed landscapes is pressing’.