Understanding the HER

1. Understanding the HER An overview of the Historic Environment Record: its origins, development and practical applications. Iain Neilson

2. Overview The Historic Environment Record Replaces: Sites and Monuments Record • database of designated and non-designated historic assets • (sites of archaeological and historic importance) • earthworks, buildings, buried remains revealed as a cropmarks or soilmarks, the area of discovery of a find or finds scatter, maps or documentary references

3. Origins • 1533: “"a moste gratius commission“ • Leland visited religious houses in England, recording the contents of their libraries John Leland 13 September, c.1503 – 18 April 1552

4. Origins • 1536: Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries • "The Germans perceive our desidousness, and do send daily young scholars hither that spoileth [books], and cutteth them out of libraries, returning home and putting them abroad as monuments of their own country."

5. Origins • 1538 – 1543: The Itineraries • Copious notes, but no finished work • 1544: “New Year's Gift“: • John bale published "The laboryouse journey & serche of Johan Leylande for Englandes antiquitees", a letter in which Leland addressed King Henry and explained his progress and intentions, namely: • De uiris illustribus, a biographical encyclopedia of British writers • A detailed map of the realm engraved on a silver table, accompanied by a written description, the Liber de topographia Britanniae, and a key to identifying the British place-names given in ancient texts. • A history of England and Wales, entitled De Antiquitate Britannica, or Civilis Historia. • De nobilitate Britannica, a catalogue of royalty, nobility, and "capitaines and rulers", divided chronologically into three books.

6. Origins • 1576: “Perambulations of Kent“ • Dictionarium Angliae Topographicum et Historicum • (published in 1730) William Lambarde Oct 18, 1536 – Aug 19, 1601

7. Origins • 1587 - 1607: "Britannia“ • "to restore antiquity to Britaine, and Britaine to its antiquity“ • Originally in Latin • Seven editions • 1610: First English edition, published by Philemon Holland William Camden 2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623

8. Origins • 1622: “Description of Leicester Shire” William Burton 24 Aug1575 – 6 Apr 1645

9. Origins • 1622: William Burton 24 August 1575 – 6 April 1645, Description of Leicester Shire • 1656: Sir William Dugdale 12 September 1605 – 10 February 1686, Antiquities of Warwickshire, 1662, The History of Imbanking and Drayning • 1677: Robert Plot 13 December 1640 – April 30, 1696 (first Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford), The Natural History of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Towards the Natural History of England, 1686: The Natural History of Staffordshire • 1663 - 1693 John Aubrey 12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697 (better known for "Brief Lives"), Monumenta Brittanica, Natural History of Wiltshire: "Naturall Historie" and "Antiquities" , 1718-1719m "Natural History and Antiquities of Surrey" (Richard Rawlinson)

10. Origins • 1740: Stonehenge, A Temple Restor'd to the British Druids 1743: Palaeographia Britannica, "Abury, A Temple of the British Druids". • "THE Wiltshire downs, or Salisbury plain, (as commonly call’d) for extent and beauty, is, without controversy, one of the most delightful parts of Britain. But of late years great encroachments have been made upon it by the plough, which threatens the ruin of this fine champain, and of all the monuments of antiquity thereabouts." • "And this stupendous fabric, which for some thousands of years, had brav'd the continual assaults of weather, and by the nature of it, when left to itself, like the pyramids of Egypt, would have lasted as long as the globe, hath fallen a sacrifice to the wretched ignorance and avarice of a little village unluckily plac'd within it." William Stukeley 7 Nov 1687 – 3 Mar 1765

11. John Aubrey: plan of Avebury

12. William Stukeley: Avebury

13. William Colt Hoare

14. Stone no.4 of the Henge

16. Period Department 1908-1912 Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England 1912-1940 Office of Works, Ancient Monuments Branch 1913-1983 Ancient Monuments Board for England 1913-1969 Ancient Monuments Board for Wales 1940-1942 Ministry of Works and Buildings, Ancient Monuments Branch 1942-1943 Ministry of Works and Planning, Ancient Monuments Branch 1943-1962 Ministry of Works, Ancient Monuments Branch 1953 Historic Buildings Council for Wales 1953-1984 Historic Buildings Council for England 1962-1969 Ministry of Public Building and Works, Ancient Monuments Branch 1969-1970 Ministry of Public Building and Works, Directorate of Ancient Monuments and Special Services 1969-1991 Welsh Office, Ancient Monuments Branch 1970-1972 Department of the Environment, Directorate of Ancient Monuments and Special Services 1972-1987 Department of the Environment, Directorate of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings 1984 Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England

17. Development The Historic Environment Record • Historic Environment Records (sometimes referred to as Sites and Monuments Records) may be held by County Councils, District Councils or Unitary Authorities. • Selected major historic towns and cities are covered by Urban Archaeological Databases (UADs).

18. The National Monuments Record • “The national archive of the historic environment of England.” • Based in Swindon • Accessible through: www.heritagegateway.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk

19. Kent HER • Exploring Kent's Past • Simple search • Advanced search • Map Search • Example: “Folkestone” • Folkestone • Pillbox