For those who work in the historic built environment, it’s easy to treat buildings in isolation from related plants and landscapes. But in addition to the statutory requirement to protect the setting of listed assets under Sections 16 and 66 of the Planning (Listed Buidings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, bolstering the relationship between a building and its natural environment will enhance the significance of the site as a whole.

An historic landscape can be assessed similarly to other forms of cultural heritage. One would assess the value of the landscape by its condition; how it appeals to the senses; the rarity of its elements and features; if it’s an important representation of a type of landscape, garden or plant; conservation interests such as wildlife or archaeological features; significant perceptual qualities like wilderness or tranquillity; association with a particular person, event or group of people of significance; and connections to a group of people or person of relevance.

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