Richard Sneesby Landscape Architects

Landscape strategy for large gardens and estates

We offer consultancy and strategic advice to managers, owners and trusts responsible for manageing and making changes to large historic gardens and landscapes. This can be a very general informal discussion about possibilities or detailed reports on matters of strategic change, ecology, wildlife, planning, boundaries and so on.

Problems and opportunities: With bidgetary constraints and changes in management practice it is very common to understand problems, but not to be sure sure what to do about it. One or more early discussions will reveal possibilities, what must go, what must remain, how to understand what you have got, where time and money are best invested, impacts on surroundings, wildlife and so on. Nearly all projects start with understanding problems and opportunities. We also give comprehensive advice on financial matters such as the cost of making changes, maintanance and management.

Garden/landscape surveys and feasibility reports: Owning gardens and designed landscapes is an investment for the future. It is important to know what you have and what you may be investing in. We can advise and report on what it contains, it's condition, technical probelms such as site drainage, access, wildlife and ecological potential, legal and bounadry matters, access and possible uses now and for the future. We generate financial scenarios for different approaches to design, maintanance and management to make sure that you don't encounter unforeseen financial problems in the future.

Most recently we have been working with the owners and family trust at a large historically important estate in east Cornwall. We also continue to advise on a large bio-diversity action project in Dorset where we are seeking to reduce fertility of a former dairy farm and mazimise the ecological potential of the land. In bot cases a key driver has been to reduce annual and long-term maintenance costs.