Landscaped Estates of the 1800s: Designs on the Future'
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Geographical & Earth Sciences
Abstract
Collaborating projects:
i. 'Bringing Landscape to Life: Environmental Histories at Sheringham Park, 1812-2012'
(Daniels P-I, Veale PDRA; Partner Organisation, National Trust)
ii. 'The Invisible College: Creating Communities of Creative Practice'
(Lorimer P-I, Hollis Co-I; Partner Organisation, NVA) [Lead Project]
Introduction:
In work undertaken independently to date, the two REC projects have investigated the geography and history of estates created as designed landscapes during the 1800s. At Sheringham, on-going estate histories of environmental change and landscape's scenography have been communicated to diverse publics through an exhibition, and at Kilmahew, a range of site-specific participatory activities have enabled different communities to connect environmental change in the past with projected plans for the near-future of an abandoned estate. This project is designed to capitalise more fully on work already undertaken in two different estate landscapes by identifying areas of common and contrasting research experience at Kilmahew and Sheringham. Its dynamic will be collaborative, critically reflective and comparative, its outputs aimed at ensuring the transferability, applicability and greater impact of locally derived knowledge.
Research Question:
The exercise in temporarily twinning Kilmahew and Sheringham will add value to existing activity by providing critical responses to a two-pronged research question:
What information about the geographical particularities of these two estate landscapes, and the lessons learned during project operations across 2012, can be shared:
i. for the wider benefit of relevant user groups (academic and non-academic) considering comparable activities in designed estate landscapes?
ii. between respective project teams and partner non-HEI organisations for the betterment of future on-site activities centring on questions of environmental change?
Subsidiary Research Questions:
In what ways can the twinned research projects be mutually enriched through the exchange of estate-based knowledge and specialist skills/experience?
In what ways can diverse constituencies of interest (academic and non-academic) benefit from the lessons learned in these projects?
How is it possible to satisfactorily involve diverse accessing publics (ranging from specialist interest groups to local communities) in conversations about the future design of estate landscapes?
Scope of Research:
Accordingly, amid the two estate landscapes of Kilmahew and Sheringham, and closely informed by the on-site experience of project partners (National Trust and NVA), consideration will be given to intersecting matters of:
environmental change (planned/unplanned; interventionist/entropic; short-term/long-term; species-specific/ecologically generalist)
strategic concern (ownership structures; landscape management models and plans; visitor policies; public communication; approaches to public consultation and community engagement; visions for continuing care),
practical impact (access controls; community traditions and customary uses; public safety; path networks; pressure points; boundaries;).
Planned Activities:
1. Intensive two-day exploratory and knowledge exchange site visits to Sheringham and Kilmahew, where the host project team will be guide the guest project team around the estate landscape, along with a small number of invited project affiliates, and other members of REC project teams (where demonstrably relevant). Activities will be directed at addressing 'key challenges' and understanding 'key locations' on-site, with attentions focusing on how matters of environmental change are being addressed. Additionally, project teams will trade acknowledged expertise in specialist fields (e.g. Stephen Daniels' international expertise on landscape gardening and the tradition of British design; Angus Farquhar's international expertise in designing landscape-scale public art interventions and installations. Daniels and Farquhar will deliver public talks as part of respective site visits.)
2. Preparation of a Toolkit of instructive summary documents - derived from shared experience at Kilmahew and Sheringham - explaining practical techniques for, variously: narrating environmental change; managing environmental change; making environmental change a motor for public communication; making environmental change an opportunity for community involvement. Using a Toolkit template devised successfully in the Landscape and Environment Impact Fellowship , a series of cross-project exchanges will enable production of a set of concise self-help documents, containing transferable and transportable advice. The documents will be designed for future use by non-HEI organisations interested in emulating the kinds of on-site activities piloted at Sheringham and Kilmahew, and, academic researchers (including postgraduate students and early-career researchers) interested in developing comparable kinds of partnership-based, practice-led activities in closely managed and/or abandoned estate landscapes.
Adding Value:
The project will add value to existing work by ensuring the exchange and dissemination of crucial information concerning contemporary research practice in historic estate landscapes. It will be of benefit to:
the two collaborating REC project teams
current and future research teams working on impact-orientated projects supported through existing AHRC themes ('Care for the Future') or cross-Council programmes ('Connected Communities', 'Living with Environmental Change')
academic researchers (including postgraduate students and early-career researchers) holding interests in, but lacking experience of, the development of research projects on estate landscapes involving different agencies, organisations and stake-holders
staff in a range of non-HEI partner groups involved in the management of estate landscapes (i.e. charitable trusts, public arts organisations) with an interest in developing new project-based partnerships with the academic research community
Key Milestones:
The project extension will begin on 1st March 2013, with an end on 30th March 2014.
Two knowledge exchange site visits by project teams will take place in late spring (at Sheringham) and early summer 2013 (at Kilmahew).
Project dialogue and exchange leading to drafting of Toolkit documents, to take place in summer of 2013, with document finalisation in early autumn.
Preparation/formatting of final Toolkit documents for dissemination via open on-line sites (e.g. landscape.ac.uk, scribd.com and invisiblecollege.org.uk), to take place autumn 2013.
Exchange visits to Glasgow and Nottingham by P-I and PDRA to take place throughout the project.
By the project's close, preparation of a draft journal article will be complete (ready for submission to Landscape Research, explaining and exploring processes of creative, public-facing research practice in different designed estate landscapes.)
A Brief Case for Estate Comparability:
The Kilmahew and Sheringham estates have much in common. In scale, both are relatively small (Sheringham is around 80 hectares, Kilmahew around 140 hectares). Both raise issues of species management, control and curation, in relation to Rhodedendrons for example. Both sites contain 'ghost' designs, memory traces, elements of absence and voided landscape. In both places vestiges of original parkland design are hidden or exposed, or potentially recoverable. Methodologically, both projects have deployed landscape as a forum for public communication and collaboration. There are also some crucial differences between the sites and projects, which will make comparison instructive. Ironically, Sheringham was designed with an understanding that it would eventually be ruined, and yet has been well preserved; Kilmahew was never intended for ruination, but ruination has become its signature feature.
i. 'Bringing Landscape to Life: Environmental Histories at Sheringham Park, 1812-2012'
(Daniels P-I, Veale PDRA; Partner Organisation, National Trust)
ii. 'The Invisible College: Creating Communities of Creative Practice'
(Lorimer P-I, Hollis Co-I; Partner Organisation, NVA) [Lead Project]
Introduction:
In work undertaken independently to date, the two REC projects have investigated the geography and history of estates created as designed landscapes during the 1800s. At Sheringham, on-going estate histories of environmental change and landscape's scenography have been communicated to diverse publics through an exhibition, and at Kilmahew, a range of site-specific participatory activities have enabled different communities to connect environmental change in the past with projected plans for the near-future of an abandoned estate. This project is designed to capitalise more fully on work already undertaken in two different estate landscapes by identifying areas of common and contrasting research experience at Kilmahew and Sheringham. Its dynamic will be collaborative, critically reflective and comparative, its outputs aimed at ensuring the transferability, applicability and greater impact of locally derived knowledge.
Research Question:
The exercise in temporarily twinning Kilmahew and Sheringham will add value to existing activity by providing critical responses to a two-pronged research question:
What information about the geographical particularities of these two estate landscapes, and the lessons learned during project operations across 2012, can be shared:
i. for the wider benefit of relevant user groups (academic and non-academic) considering comparable activities in designed estate landscapes?
ii. between respective project teams and partner non-HEI organisations for the betterment of future on-site activities centring on questions of environmental change?
Subsidiary Research Questions:
In what ways can the twinned research projects be mutually enriched through the exchange of estate-based knowledge and specialist skills/experience?
In what ways can diverse constituencies of interest (academic and non-academic) benefit from the lessons learned in these projects?
How is it possible to satisfactorily involve diverse accessing publics (ranging from specialist interest groups to local communities) in conversations about the future design of estate landscapes?
Scope of Research:
Accordingly, amid the two estate landscapes of Kilmahew and Sheringham, and closely informed by the on-site experience of project partners (National Trust and NVA), consideration will be given to intersecting matters of:
environmental change (planned/unplanned; interventionist/entropic; short-term/long-term; species-specific/ecologically generalist)
strategic concern (ownership structures; landscape management models and plans; visitor policies; public communication; approaches to public consultation and community engagement; visions for continuing care),
practical impact (access controls; community traditions and customary uses; public safety; path networks; pressure points; boundaries;).
Planned Activities:
1. Intensive two-day exploratory and knowledge exchange site visits to Sheringham and Kilmahew, where the host project team will be guide the guest project team around the estate landscape, along with a small number of invited project affiliates, and other members of REC project teams (where demonstrably relevant). Activities will be directed at addressing 'key challenges' and understanding 'key locations' on-site, with attentions focusing on how matters of environmental change are being addressed. Additionally, project teams will trade acknowledged expertise in specialist fields (e.g. Stephen Daniels' international expertise on landscape gardening and the tradition of British design; Angus Farquhar's international expertise in designing landscape-scale public art interventions and installations. Daniels and Farquhar will deliver public talks as part of respective site visits.)
2. Preparation of a Toolkit of instructive summary documents - derived from shared experience at Kilmahew and Sheringham - explaining practical techniques for, variously: narrating environmental change; managing environmental change; making environmental change a motor for public communication; making environmental change an opportunity for community involvement. Using a Toolkit template devised successfully in the Landscape and Environment Impact Fellowship , a series of cross-project exchanges will enable production of a set of concise self-help documents, containing transferable and transportable advice. The documents will be designed for future use by non-HEI organisations interested in emulating the kinds of on-site activities piloted at Sheringham and Kilmahew, and, academic researchers (including postgraduate students and early-career researchers) interested in developing comparable kinds of partnership-based, practice-led activities in closely managed and/or abandoned estate landscapes.
Adding Value:
The project will add value to existing work by ensuring the exchange and dissemination of crucial information concerning contemporary research practice in historic estate landscapes. It will be of benefit to:
the two collaborating REC project teams
current and future research teams working on impact-orientated projects supported through existing AHRC themes ('Care for the Future') or cross-Council programmes ('Connected Communities', 'Living with Environmental Change')
academic researchers (including postgraduate students and early-career researchers) holding interests in, but lacking experience of, the development of research projects on estate landscapes involving different agencies, organisations and stake-holders
staff in a range of non-HEI partner groups involved in the management of estate landscapes (i.e. charitable trusts, public arts organisations) with an interest in developing new project-based partnerships with the academic research community
Key Milestones:
The project extension will begin on 1st March 2013, with an end on 30th March 2014.
Two knowledge exchange site visits by project teams will take place in late spring (at Sheringham) and early summer 2013 (at Kilmahew).
Project dialogue and exchange leading to drafting of Toolkit documents, to take place in summer of 2013, with document finalisation in early autumn.
Preparation/formatting of final Toolkit documents for dissemination via open on-line sites (e.g. landscape.ac.uk, scribd.com and invisiblecollege.org.uk), to take place autumn 2013.
Exchange visits to Glasgow and Nottingham by P-I and PDRA to take place throughout the project.
By the project's close, preparation of a draft journal article will be complete (ready for submission to Landscape Research, explaining and exploring processes of creative, public-facing research practice in different designed estate landscapes.)
A Brief Case for Estate Comparability:
The Kilmahew and Sheringham estates have much in common. In scale, both are relatively small (Sheringham is around 80 hectares, Kilmahew around 140 hectares). Both raise issues of species management, control and curation, in relation to Rhodedendrons for example. Both sites contain 'ghost' designs, memory traces, elements of absence and voided landscape. In both places vestiges of original parkland design are hidden or exposed, or potentially recoverable. Methodologically, both projects have deployed landscape as a forum for public communication and collaboration. There are also some crucial differences between the sites and projects, which will make comparison instructive. Ironically, Sheringham was designed with an understanding that it would eventually be ruined, and yet has been well preserved; Kilmahew was never intended for ruination, but ruination has become its signature feature.
