Dr Paul Rabbitts

Garden Historian Career Profile

Parks manager, historian, author and public speaker Dr Paul Rabbitts tells us how he began his career in parks management.

How did you get into public parks as a career?

I almost fell into the management of public parks. A degree in Geography and a Master’s degree in landscape architecture led me into my first job as a landscape architect on Jersey and then to Carlisle City Council into a traditional parks department.

My projects were nearly all parks related and I think it was the award of one of the first Heritage Lottery Funded parks projects for Hammonds Pond, a 1923 run down park that I felt I was a ‘parkie’. To be honest I was never a great landscape architect but had a real rapport with parks management and their restoration. This followed through with career moves to Middlesbrough Council and eventually Watford Borough Council where I got the dream job, Head of Parks. I have had parks since then, although additions regularly occur!

Dr Paul Rabbitts

You’re an active advocate for public parks and prolific author. What impact do you think this has had and what could others do to promote the value of them?

I have always been an advocate for quality parks, with my work as a Green Flag Judge, the Parks Management Association but I feel that by talking about them to groups such as Women’s Institutes, U3As, local history societies, arts societies are important. I squeeze in 50 talks every year as well as write about them. The impact may be hard to evaluate but every book, article, lecture, feature must count.

You are also a Green Flag Judge and have visited many parks. What’s your top 3 parks and why?

So many parks visited, but the three that stand out for me are Richmond Park – wild and rugged, oozing history; Regents Park – horticulture at its best and the impact of architects John Nash and Decimus Burton; and Cassiobury Park in Watford – always in the top 10 parks every year and one of my favourite projects.

Dr Paul Rabbitts

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