Who we are and what we do
London Parks & Gardens Research Group is a friendly, lively group of volunteers who research the history of green spaces – large and small – across London and use their findings to contribute and support our work. Our research work includes:
- An Inventory of Historic Green Spaces – currently boasting over 2,500 parks, gardens, squares, churchyards, cemeteries and other green spaces of historic interest across London. The information in the Inventory is a key resource for our Planning Group who responds to planning applications that may have an adverse impact on London's green spaces.
- Articles published on our website, on our ‘serious but not academic’ annual publication: The London Gardener, or in other relevant media and public journals.
- Talks and lectures as part of our annual programme of popular Winter Lecture Series events.
- Leading walks around London historic green spaces.
Our group currently meets every three months in central London to share progress on research, receive training and share good practice and information. We also organise occasional visits to archives or places of significance that may be of interest to scholars and researchers.
Healing gardens
What you can do and tips on starting your research
Whether you are an experienced researcher, have attended a course and would like to put theory into practice, or would like to learn how to research a garden’s history, this is the group for you. Plenty of support is available and you are free to choose which gardens you research and how much time you commit. All we ask is that any research findings can be used to support the London Parks & Gardens Trust work. Research volunteers can work individually, join up with others or work in collaboration towards a common theme.
The simplest way to start a research is by finding the information you need through an online search or a trip to your local library. Both will have access to archives you can explore, but consider key words or phrases which might help bring the useful results you need.
How newspapers can be a great resource for researchers
Our ongoing projects
The themes our Research Group is currently working on include:
>> Football and entertainment in parks
>> Haringey: London Borough of Culture 2027
>> The contribution of migration to London’s parks and gardens
Email office@londongardenstrust.org to find out more about our Research Group or if you would like to join.