Sustainability Spotlight: Historic gardens unprepared for climate change impacts, report finds

This article was first published by Museums + Heritage Advisor.

The UK’s historic parks, gardens and cemeteries are becoming more vulnerable to climate change, with managers unprepared for its impacts, according to a study published by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

The report says there is now a need for increased guidance and support, as all sites are already affected.

As rainfall and storms become more frequent, alongside longer dry periods, pests are thriving in the wetter conditions. The effect of the environmental change now extends to trees, plant collections, habitats, paths, terraces, drainage systems and water bodies.

Erika Diaz Petersen, principal national landscape adviser at Historic England, said the new research “highlights the challenges owners are facing in managing sites in the face of risks such as flooding, drought, high winds and pest and diseases, and the need for advice and support as they work to secure these valuable places for the future.”

According to the report, paths and drainage systems are often no longer fit for present conditions, with sites reporting flooding in places that have not flooded before.