Last edited 01 Feb 2021

Historic environment records

Historic Environment Records (HER’s), previously known as Sites and Monuments Records, provide access to historic information about buildings, monuments, places and sites of archaeological finds. They are held and maintained by county councils, district councils, unitary authorities, national parks and landowners such as the National Trust.

HER’s are digital databases that cover the whole area of the authority, providing sources of, and signposts to, information, which may be mapped across the area using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). They can be used for planning, development control and for educational purposes. They are also used by statutory undertakers and developers and may be consulted by the public.

They typically record monuments, events, sources and archives. They may also include reference collections such as archaeological reports, building investigations and so on.

There are more than 80 HERs in England, a list of which is maintained by Heritage Gateway.

Some major historic towns and cities will have an Urban Archaeological Database (UAD), which may be held as part of the local Historic Environment Record.

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