Greenwich Park Revealed
LANDSCAPE & ARBORICULTURE
Client
Royal Parks ​
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Project Type
Public Park
Location
Greenwich Park, London
TMA were commissioned to produce a Landscape Visual Appraisal (LVA) to assess a phased restoration of two mature tree avenues within Greenwich Park, just south of the Maritime Museum buildings. The park is a heritage asset, part of a Registered Park and Garden, and located within the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, which includes scheduled monuments, listed buildings, and a conservation area. The Royal Greenwich Local Plan describes the site as one of the finest architectural and landscape ensembles in the British Isles, with the view of St Paul’s Cathedral from the General Wolfe statue recognised as one of only two strategic views.
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Awards
Landscape Institute Awards 2025, winning the Excellence in Heritage & Culture
BALI National Landscape Award in the Community and Schools Development category - 2024
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Project Overview ​
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The assessment considered four restoration options produced by the Greenwich Revealed team. Each option was evaluated separately for landscape and visual effects, taking into account the park’s historical significance, existing tree heights, and key public viewpoints. At the time, Greenwich Park was undergoing restoration as part of the wider ‘Greenwich Park Revealed’ project, providing important context for these works.
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Relevant policies from the Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy support the protection and enhancement of heritage assets, the positive use of these assets for conservation-led regeneration, and the protection and creation of open spaces.
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Our Approach ​
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We undertook a detailed LVA, considering both short-term and long-term visual impacts. The approach included analysing tree surveys to understand existing tree heights and likely replacement growth, noting that existing trees average 14.55 metres, with some reaching up to 22 metres, while replacement Limes and Oaks are expected to reach approximately 10 metres after 25 years.
We assessed the visibility of the avenues from key viewpoints, including the West and East Colonnades, Queen’s Field, the General Wolfe statue lookout, Croom’s, and One Tree Hill. The phasing of the works was carefully considered to allow park visitors to adapt gradually to landscape changes, with simultaneous works elsewhere in the park helping to moderate public perception. Mitigation measures, such as retaining large perimeter trees, were also evaluated to reduce adverse visual effects.
Challenges​
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Challenges included balancing restoration ambitions with public visual experience, preserving heritage context, and managing significant but temporary visual impacts from proposed works. For example, one option would achieve rapid restoration within three years but creates the greatest short-term change, while all options required careful phasing to reduce disruption to park visitors.
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Outcomes
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The assessment concluded that the visibility of the two tree avenues is largely limited to the northern portion of the park and the West and East Colonnades beside Queen’s House. Short-term visual effects are acknowledged but mitigated through careful phasing, retention of perimeter trees, and considered replacement planting.
Replacement trees will eventually restore canopy coverage, enhancing the landscape character and visual integrity of the Grand Axis over the long term. Visual impacts on distant viewpoints, such as the General Wolfe statue, are modest, with minimal or no effect on Croom’s and One Tree Hill.
Overall, the restoration will reinforce the park’s historical and ecological value while maintaining public enjoyment throughout the phased works.
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​Services Provided
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Landscape Visual Appraisal
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Assessment of four restoration options
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Analysis of heritage, visual, and ecological impacts
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Recommendations for phased restoration and mitigation measures
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Arboricultural Survey
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Arboricultural Method Statement