Karli Edmondson
Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:48 am

UPM Tilhill staff are celebrating after challenging restoration work to the Grade II listed Langley Park in Buckinghamshire received a prestigious Green Flag award. 

The Green Flag Awards celebrate the best green spaces in England and Wales and are a barometer for all parks and green spaces, raising environmental standards and excellence in recreational green spaces. 

Appointed by Scott Wilson, UPM Tilhill was the main contractor for the site which is spread over 190 hectares. Work began to restore the parkland in 2009 and has taken over 15 months to complete. The project was made possible through a £1.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

Important views of Windsor Castle have been complemented by the restoration of the Temple Gardens. The lake, which was heavily silted with much of it consumed by reeds, has been fully restored with a timber edge marking its original alignment. 

The park has a rich and varied history. Originally a medieval and Tudor deer park, with elements of the park redesigned by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s. His focus was on creating the impression of natural parkland and much of his vision has been recreated as part of the restoration work. 

The park was used as a training ground by the Polish army during World War II, which led to an unusual discovery during construction. Jon Rooney, Project manager of lead design consultants Scott Wilson, explains: “We dealt with a large quantity of World War II unexploded ordnance in the lake during the de-silting process and this had to be removed and safely destroyed before work could progress. This challenging restoration project has brought Langley Park back to life, restoring features and views and improving access to its hidden treasures. This builds upon our work on another high-profile restoration with UPM Tilhill at Chiswick House and Gardens in west London which also opened recently to much acclaim.” 

Scott Wilson has been involved with the restoration of Langley Park since 2006 and led a multi-disciplinary design team of landscape architects, architects, structural engineers, lake specialists and quantity surveyors for client Buckinghamshire County Council. 

Jonathan Windle, Project Manager for UPM Tilhill, said: “We were delighted to be involved in such an important project and use our extensive landscaping expertise. The highlights for us were the restoration of the lake and building the visitors’ centre and we are thrilled that Langley Park has now won an award.”