28 June 2017
CWGC awarded Best Heritage Park
The CWGC Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme has been awarded Best Heritage Park at this year’s Horticulture Week Custodian Awards.
David Richardson, the CWGC’s Director of Horticulture, (left) and Robert Thomson, senior head gardener at Thiepval, (centre) collect the award
The awards, now in their second year, recognise and celebrate the achievements of parks, gardens, ground and tree management professionals.
The winners were announced today at a reception and presentation hosted by Horticulture Week at Woburn Abbey House & Gardens Sculpture Gallery in Bedfordshire.
The memorial is the Commission’s largest war memorial in the world. It commemorates more than 72,000 servicemen who died during the 141 days of the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and who have no known grave. It is one of the CWGC’s most-visited sites on the former Western Front – attracting in the region of 300,000 visitors each year.
In July 2016, the CWGC hosted the UK government’s commemorations of the Somme at Thiepval with approximately 10,000 guests in attendance.
David Richardson, the CWGC’s Director of Horticulture, said: “Our teams in France and around the globe are responsible for caring for some of the most iconic commemorative sites to the dead of two world wars. Their work ensures those men and women will always be remembered.
"This award is an incredible achievement and recognises the great work of our team at Thiepval and the wider dedication and skills of our staff worldwide.”
The awards were judged by an independent panel including Professional Gardeners' Guild (PGG) chair Tony Arnold, Horticulture Week technical editor Sally Drury, former City of London Corporation director of open spaces Sue Ireland, London Tree Officers Association executive member Dave Lofthouse and master gardener Alan Sargent.