The Vale of Glamorgan Council has invited us to work with them as part of a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Registered Parks and Gardens of Cold Knap in Barry and the Italian Gardens in Penarth, Cardiff.

The Italian Gardens are a Grade II registered Edwardian style public garden forming a distinctive and much-loved part of Penarth’s seafront. Created in 1926, this historic public garden faces a combination of pressures, including ageing built fabric, changing patterns of use, reduced maintenance resources and the growing impacts of coastal exposure and climate change. 

At the same time, renewed interest in heritage led regeneration and community stewardship presents opportunities to enhance the Gardens’ resilience, biodiversity and accessibility.

The CMP was commissioned by The Vale of Glamorgan Council in February to help to guide decisions about how to best manage and maintain the Italian Gardens effectively in the long term whilst retaining the site’s significance and historic character. 

We’re also working with the council on a CMP for Cold Knap Park in Barry, a Grade II registered inter-war public park which is part of the town’s seafront. 

Its cohesive 1920s–30s design, prominent coastal setting and layered social history give it considerable historic, aesthetic, communal and evidential value. 

The Park remains a valued recreational landscape, in close proximity to the Wales Coast Path, and an important component of Barry’s historic seaside development

Land Studio Director and Landscape Architect Kate Richards said: “Public parks and gardens are essential green spaces for our communities, offering social value as well as supporting biodiversity and wildlife.

“These plans will play a key role in shaping how the parks are cared for in the years ahead, ensuring they are managed sustainably whilst preserving their historic character and significance.

“Work like this helps safeguard these landscapes so they continue to be enjoyed by future generations - a responsibility we are proud to champion at Land Studio.”