Historic Landscape Characterisation
English Heritage, 2018. https://doi.org/10.5284/1047634. How to cite using this DOI
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
Historic England
The Engine House
Firefly Avenue
Swindon
SN2 2EH
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 1583
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1047634
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction to the Programme
The Historic Landscape Characterisation programme is a powerful tool that provides a framework for broadening our understanding of the whole landscape and contributes to decisions affecting tomorrow's landscape. HLC projects produce interactive GIS-based descriptions of the historic dimension - the 'time-depth' - that characterises our rural landscape. HLC work is conducted in line with the European Landscape Convention (ELC), which came into force in 11 ratifying countries on 4 March 2004. It was signed by the UK in February 2006 and ratified on 21 November 2006. It came into force in the UK on 1 March 2007, and Defra has recently published 'A Framework for Implementation in England'. Historic England published its ELC Action Plan in early 2009: European Landscape Convention - The English Heritage Action Plan for Implementation.
National Reviews
Two national reviews of the HLC programme have been carried out. 'Taking Stock of the Method' explores the development of the HLC approach and methodology, and 'Using Historic Landscape Characterisation' looks at the many ways in which HLC is currently used to understand and manage the historic environment, and how these applications are likely to develop in the future. Both reviews are available from the Downloads page.
For more information and resources on the HLC programme, please see the Historic England Understanding Historic Places page.
Related surveys have also been conducted under the Extensive Urban Survey Programme.
Surveys archived with the ADS:
- Avon (including South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset)
- Birmingham
- Black Country
- Cheshire
- City of York
- Colne Valley Park
- Cornwall
- County Durham and Darlington
- Coventry
- Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB
- Cumbria and the Lakes
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- East Berkshire
- Essex
- Gloucestershire (including the Cotswolds and the Wye Valley AONBs)
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- North Yorkshire, York and Lower Tees Valley
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxford
- Oxfordshire
- Peak District
- Peterborough
- Shropshire
- Somerset and Exmoor
- South Yorkshire
- Surrey
- Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire and Swindon
- Worcestershire
