Historic park open to public once again
Sunningdale: First time in years
A 47-acre park with grade II listed features has officially been opened to the public once again – for the first time in more than two centuries.
Sunningdale Park and Northcote House are steeped in history. It is famed as the location of the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement which established power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland.
The park features a grade II listed mansion, grade II registered park, pleasure grounds, walled kitchen, gardens, parkland and woodland, all of which have previously been inaccessible to the public for centuries, due to private ownership.
In 2016, Berkeley
Homes and Audley Group entered into a partnership with the Cabinet Office to acquire the land and buildings in Sunningdale Park.
They sought planning permission to develop the buildings and land into a new integrated retirement community, providing ‘much needed properties for older people’.
As well as building work, renovations began on the grade II listed Northcote House plus the restoration of the private grade II registered park, pleasure grounds and garden.
Last month, members of the local council, Berkeley Homes, Audley Group and others gathered to celebrate the formal opening of the park.
Caroline McHardy, land and development director at Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chilterns), said: “We have invested heavily in the restoration of the parkland for both residents and the local community to enjoy.
“The landscaping will not only improve local biodiversity but will also strengthen natural habitats for wildlife to flourish.
“We hope the gardens will become a much-loved destination within the Sunningdale community.”