Draft:Historic Environment Records
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Introduction
[edit]Historic Environment Records (HERs) are information services that capture details of archaeology, buildings and structures of historic interest, chance finds, landscapes, battlefields, designed parks and gardens, collectively ‘Heritage Assets’[1]. HERs can be accessed online, or by requesting a search. HERs exist in England[2], Wales[3], Scotland[4], Northern Ireland[5], crown dependencies[6][7], and elsewhere[8][9].
HERs are used by the public and heritage professionals to answer questions about Heritage Assets. For example, ‘will any heritage be harmed by development?’; or ‘What can the HER tell me about stone circles / Roman roads / medieval villages / industrial buildings / world war two defences?
HERs get their information from reports on archaeological investigations, historic building surveys, and research (done by the public, academics, local societies, HER staff, etc.). An array of documentary, cartographic and data sources are used for this research[10]. The mechanism for submitting research or data to each HER differs, and a conversation with the record manager (often called an HER Officer) is recommended.
Purpose and Organisation
[edit]Most reports arise from archaeological works done before a development takes place. A common misconception is that builders discover archaeology and call archaeologists. In reality, heritage assets are often already recorded, or can be predicted by specialists using the evidence in the HER, who then recommend appropriate investigations[11]. This advice is separate to that provided for sites with Statutory protection such as Listed Buildings or Scheduled Monument designations.
Typically, HERs in England and Scotland are maintained by County Councils or Unitary Authorities, although there are exceptions. In Northern Ireland there is a single HER[5]. A Marine HER for England is maintained by Historic England[12]. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 made it compulsory for Local Authorities in England and Wales to maintain an Historic Environment Record[13]. Two films about about HERs were released in March 2026, 'What are Historic Environment Records?' and 'Why Historic Environment Records Matter'
Further Reading
[edit]History and development of HERs and their evolution from Sites and monuments records
Historic Environment Records in the planning system in England
National Planning Policy Framework - 16. Conserving and enhancing the historic environment
References
[edit]- ^ "UK HER Manual". UK HER Manual. 2025–2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ^ "HeritageGateway - Home *". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "Welcome to Archwilio - Archwilio". Archwilio. Archived from the original on 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "HER contacts | HER Forum Scotland". Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ a b "Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record". apps.communities-ni.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "Arches | Heritage Data Management". her.jerseyheritage.org. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "Arches | Heritage Data Management". isleofmanher.im. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "The Historic Environment Record ⋅ Saint Helena Island Info ⋅ About St Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean". sainthelenaisland.info. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ Beardmore, Rebecca; Cuttler, Richard; Al-Naimi, Faisal; Ramsey, Eleanor; Fitch, Simon; Kallweit, Heiko (2010). "The Qatar National Historic Environment Record: a bespoke cultural resource management tool and the wider implications for heritage management within the region". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 40: 5–15. ISSN 0308-8421. JSTOR 41224003.
- ^ "Principal Datasets - Coverage and content - UK HER Manual - Knowledge Hub". UK HER Manual. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "National Planning Policy Framework - 16. Conserving and enhancing the historic environment - Guidance - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "National Marine Heritage Record | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ^ "Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023". Retrieved 26 March 2026.