Noel Edmunds is famous for many things – as a former radio DJ, as the presenter of very successful TV programmes such as Noel’s House Party and now Deal Or No Deal, and of course as the ‘father’ of Mr Blobby and the curious concept of Crinkly Bottom. One thing he hasn’t been known for though is as a gardener. We’ve always known that he lived in a beautiful country house in Devon (and indeed held the august post of Deputy Lieutenant of the county!), but nobody would have thought he had a passion for pansies, peonies and petunias.

Now he has a new house in the county and has announced that he is going to spend £1 million over five years on the restoration of the gardens that surround his new Arts and Craft home. The gardens and parkland cover all of 30 acres, and were the work of the late Nineteenth century designer Thomas Mawson. However they are in a very poor condition and the garden buildings, including several huge glasshouses, are almost derelict.

What might have surprised Blobby fans, reading the news reports, is that the gardens are Grade I listed, something which is normally associated with great houses and cathedrals, not lawns and herbaceous borders.

As James Lawrie of property specialists Strutt & Parker says, ‘The Listing system for buildings was extended to parks and gardens deemed to be of historic interest, and 150 sites have the top Grade I status. There are nearly half a million Listed buildings in England, but far fewer listed gardens. In fact there are just 1,450 gardens on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.’

As well as current or former private gardens these include city squares and even graveyards. As with buildings, they are split into three categories. Those which qualify for Grade 1 status include Capability Brown’s Hawkstone Park in Shropshire, the gardens at Mount Edgumbe in Cornwall, and Oxford University’s Botanic Gardens.

Many listed gardens are open to the public, but of course others are private. In many cases however owners are often delighted to show their gardens to individuals or small groups who have a specialist interest. For anyone thinking of buying a property with a Listed garden James advises that research should be undertaken to find out exactly what it entails, and what your responsibilities will be. Specialist advice is readily available, and English Heritage will be only too happy to advise. There is also a very helpful private organisation, The Listed Property Owners’ Club, which is based near Sittingbourne in Kent and concerns itself with properties with listed gardens as well as buildings.

Mark Rimell who is based at Strutt & Parker’s London office, adds, The purpose of listing a garden is to ensure that landscapes deemed to be of national importance are safeguarded, just as buildings are. They form an important part of our national heritage, and it is often crucial that an historic building still sits in its original garden.’

English Heritage, which together with The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for listings, says that their role is to protect Listed gardens, and also to advise and assist. They insist that giving a garden that protection is not meant to ‘fossilise’ it, but to protect its overall structure and design, and ensure that careful thought is given to any alterations. Once a garden has been given Listed status the owner has a legal obligation to maintain it in good order, and alterations of any sort must be approved by the Department.

English Heritage has three Protection Teams, who are responsible for the park and garden designations. One covers the North, the North-East and Yorkshire, a second London and the South-East, and the third the South West, the Midlands and the East.

Mark says, ‘English Heritage does go out of the way to make the point that they are aware that owners act as unpaid guardians of the nation’s treasures. Just as many owners of historic houses take great delight in their being Listed, so gardening enthusiasts and garden historians are often very proud to own a Listed garden and are happy to take on the responsibility of maintaining it.

‘In doing so they have a direct link with England’s horticultural heritage, and would, through their own toil and at their own expense, be helping to ensure that these gardens are preserved in good order for the gardeners of the future.

‘We should all be very grateful to private individuals like Noel Edmonds who spend their own money restoring and maintaining national treasures. Television might be a transitory medium but in restoring the gardens at his new house he is not only taking on a monumental challenge, but can also be certain that he is re-creating something much more permanent, which will give pleasure for generations.’