Two Awards for Easy Access to Historic Landscapes

Well, we're all a bit chuffed here at the office. It turns out that Easy Access to Historic Landscapes has won two awards at the Landscape Institute Awards in London.

Developed by the Sensory Trust for English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, Easy Access to Historic Landscapes won the Landscape Policy Award and the President’s Award for the UK’s most outstanding project by the landscape profession at the Landscape Institute Awards on Thursday 30 November 2006.

The book was commended by judges for being “of excellent quality in terms of clarity, intelligence of advice, thoroughness of research and visual layout”, “a refreshing approach” and “a very good resource pack for both professional and lay reader”.

Nigel Thorne, President of the Landscape Institute, said: “I noted this submission early on in my judging and returned to it time and time again. The judges gave it just one point short of the maximum marks and I found it difficult to see where they had managed to find a slight weakness! As professionals we must serve not only our members but the public also; this publication does exactly that and so much more.”

Easy Access to Historic Landscapes was developed to help the owners and managers of sites such as historic parks, gardens, cemeteries and urban squares to provide easy, dignified access for all visitors. It focuses on creating a better visitor experience, but also aims to help improve the skills of staff and volunteers and prevent damage to a site’s special historic interest.

Sensory Trust is always pleased to be recognised for the work we do in creating meaningful, usable guidance out of sometimes complex legislation and competing standards. We take a broad view of access, from the decision to visit a site to the safe return home. This approach can be initially quite daunting and we are pleased that the new guide will provide an easy route into it for designers and managers.

Jenifer White, Senior Landscape Advisor for English Heritage, said: “Easy Access to Historic Landscapes aimed to go beyond simply persuading people to meet legal requirements; it’s about thinking about the experience of each person who visits these inspiring and beautiful sites.”

Tony Crosby, Access and Disability Policy Officer at the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Our historic landscapes are a significant and much valued part of our diverse heritage and people from all sections of society should be able to access and enjoy them. The publication aims help to increase this enjoyment and these awards confirm we are achieving this aim."

Sensory Trust also produced By All Reasonable Means: Inclusive access to the outdoors for disabled people for the Countryside Agency, now Landscape Access Recreation.

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