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SectionE
SectionE

Version management

Difference between version and

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Wales has adopted a different approach, and has defined a ‘Register of Landscapes’ of specific or outstanding interest (Cadw 1998) which ranks and values specific selected areas, but not the whole landscape. However an HLC is about to be implemented, to ensure all of the landscape has been assessed, in accord with the English and Scottish approaches.
Wales has adopted a different approach, and has defined a 'Register of Landscapes' of specific or outstanding interest (Cadw 1998) which ranks and values specific selected areas, but not the whole landscape. However an HLC is about to be implemented, to ensure all of the landscape has been assessed, in accord with the English and Scottish approaches.
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Across both England and Scotland, a basic range of sources have been used, to inform, and support the HLC (Panel 10). Key datasets commonly used include the modern OS maps, the mid 19th Century 1st Edition and often an intermediary dataset like the 1950’s OS maps or aerial photography. The key factors dictating their use are that they must be:
Across both England and Scotland, a basic range of sources have been used, to inform, and support the HLC (Panel 10). Key datasets commonly used include the modern OS maps, the mid 19th Century 1st Edition and often an intermediary dataset like the 1950's OS maps or aerial photography. The key factors dictating their use are that they must be:
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In each county there are additional locally available datasets to inform and enhance the HLC, including Tithe and Enclosure maps from which an HLC may ‘pick and mix’.
In each county there are additional locally available datasets to inform and enhance the HLC, including Tithe and Enclosure maps from which an HLC may 'pick and mix'.
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*__Urban HLC__ Enhanced forms of HLC are being developed, for example Urban based HLC, using a more fine grained approach – assessing and classifying the urban environment in greater detail than rural HLC (see below). This approach is currently being developed in Lancashire, Cornwall, Northern England and in Hertfordshire (a pilot study in Stevenage). See illustration from Cornwall, figure 52. It is thought this more detailed approach will sit alongside Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas and the more recent Extended Urban Survey’s (EUS) providing an historic urban context for more detailed studies and site based data.
*__Urban HLC__ Enhanced forms of HLC are being developed, for example Urban based HLC, using a more fine grained approach – assessing and classifying the urban environment in greater detail than rural HLC (see below). This approach is currently being developed in Lancashire, Cornwall, Northern England and in Hertfordshire (a pilot study in Stevenage). See illustration from Cornwall, figure 52. It is thought this more detailed approach will sit alongside Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas and the more recent Extended Urban Survey's (EUS) providing an historic urban context for more detailed studies and site based data.
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!!E.5.5 Issues relating to how HLC may complement the HER
There are many questions and/or issues to be considered before embarking on integrated data management of HLC in conjunction with HER datasets. What it is intended to achieve and why? How the product might be used in the future and how it fits in with the HERs IT and GIS data structure within its parent organisation. Serious consideration should be given to the pragmatic, logical and effective steps needed to create what would be a useful and universal tool, also the manner in which it might subsequently be developed and applied.
In planning to create an integrated series of records to form a more complete HER one must consider the diverse nature of the various datasets, in detail, scale and quality. In any approach, where the data will be combined in some way, it will be essential to have national standards and guidelines to ensure a uniform approach and a compatibility of standards and the resulting datasets. This would have the added advantage of adding credibility to heritage asset management and records.
Such a nationally established HER and HLC protocol could extend the range and effectiveness of current methods of heritage management, contribute further to conservation, landscape management, development control work, research and so forth, and allow the heritage sector to operate on the same national basis as other regional or national bodies in areas such as, Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and to help inform change indicators such as 'Countryside Quality Counts'.
The main approaches to combining HLC with HER datasets may be either as parallel or integrated datasets. Integrated, object oriented geo-databases would be a way forward, but would require good GIS skills to achieve this more advanced GIS data structure, with improved conformity in data quality and content, not least well defined and generally accepted spatial extents.
The data within the various HERs is variable in content, quality and structure, reflecting a wide variety of material from single finds to complex and extensive excavations, and development over a long period of time. On HER mapping sites are usually located by a six figure NGR and represented in GIS as an X-Y point – although there is an increasing thrust to convert these points to polygonal data, reflecting the sites true geographic coverage. Other digital data includes for example, the National Mapping Programme (NMP).
HLCs also differ in nature, quality and form with great variation between phases in the development of the methodology and their application across England. Recent projects have shown that the assimilation of different forms of HLC to create cross-border models can be achieved (for example Went et al 2003: Green and Kidd 2004: Chris Blandford Associates 2004).
Given that the data held within the HER record is complex and variable, often held in different data structures how is HLC best used or incorporated with such digital datasets?
(See 'Is there a Point in the Polygon?' Dyson-Bruce 2004) [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/News/ArchivedNews.htm] [Historic Environment Record News Feb 2004|http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/45C2FF6D-3407-4BF0-9975-2A94B032BA23/0/hern_03.pdf].
!Rationalising the HER and HLC data
There may be many ways of doing this, in practical or technical terms - but the following ideas or types of approach are suggested:
To achieve some national strategy to gain conformity in data, a rationalisation, with defined data standards and structure may well be required to synthesise all these variable forms of data, both HLC and HER in themselves, prior to their being brought together in a single or series of linked databases into a fully integrated HER. This would enable full and consistent interoperability, application and analysis. The drawback is that, this may stymie future development and change, but on the other hand would ensure national conformity in data gathering, collation, analysis and management. However due to the diversity of dataset structure and content in the HLC and HER there may be no single solution.
Given the variability of HLCs, the integration of all HLCs into a nationally consistent dataset would require a rationalisation of the data, and data migration into new data structures with various levels of synthesis and interpretation of the extant data. A clear and well defined vision would be required to ensure conformity.
For an HER there would have to be some data cleansing or filtering process of duplicate, suspect and inconsistent data. In addition point data may need to polygonised, which introduces issues of where to place the boundary of sites. For example, Listed Buildings, which may have an unclear spatial definition – what part of the building, or series of buildings, how much of the grounds or curtilage are to be incorporated, that is, what is its 'footprint'? Similarly, Scheduled Monuments may have an defined edge that may well not conform to OS digital data. All these would require digitising as unique polygons, with all associated records.
One could cluster data together, such as finds scatters, crop marks or clusters of listed buildings with other historically significant buildings. This would require definition of a cluster – number, proximity, area and so forth, using consistent criteria, for example perhaps using a convex hull technique (whereby GIS 'lassos' a line, around a cluster of selected point data into a group which may then be represented as a polygon, possibly with an additional buffer zone). However the information would require additional interpretation by type, period, or a synthesis. Again they may well not conform to OS defined areas. These clusters or groupings of data could form various 'management layers', representing a new layer of generic or categorised information within the HER. This could perhaps be more easily understood and assimilated by other users that are non-archaeologists.
Whilst this process is being initiated and implemented, it would be opportune to fully consider future applications. With appropriate thought the data cleansing and manipulation could provide the answer to a wider variety of remits and end uses, that is a more useful streamlined management tool and resource.
!HLC in parallel or imbedded into HER
Alternatively the HLC and HER datasets could sit in parallel with each other to be used interactively within GIS, for reactive or iterative display or analysis. The separate datasets are displayed within GIS using the functionality within GIS display (using legends to allow overlaying of multiple datasets – transparency and appropriate symbology), or for analysis (for example by spatial location, or by using attributes).
One option is for a hierarchical system: the overarching broad HLC with the finer grained detailed HER, both possibly displaying at different scales. So as one zoomed in the HLC would fade as the HER records came into sharper focus. Hertfordshire County Council has used a series of nesting polygonal data for redefining the HER – which proved time consuming and thus may not be universally practicable (S Bryant pers. comm.).
!HLC integrated into HER
The HLC and HER datasets could be combined into a single resource – as a 'single source of truth or information' whereby the HLC becomes an integral part of the HER system.
exeGesIS SDM Ltd has developed an 'HLC Module' for the HBSMR system whereby, using a rules based, hierarchical system (see figure 53), of broad generic groups or categories (macro), with types, sub-types or attributes providing the detail (micro), with associated material, has enabled an integration of the HLC within the HER. It is an inter active system, the HER and HLC are embedded together into their spatial context. This approach has been piloted in Norfolk in its application of HLC.
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[{Image src='fig53.jpg' alt='Figure 53: A screen capture of the HBSMR Help manual – this approach embeds the HLC within the HER.'}]
''Figure 53: A screen capture of the HBSMR Help manual – this approach embeds the HLC within the HER (©exeGesIS SDM Ltd. 2007).''
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!!E.5.6 Data maintenance and update
Increasingly as areas are completed, the issues of data management, maintenance and update, of not only the basic records but also the subsequent syntheses, will need to be addressed. With time, data will be updated, errors found and corrected with new interpretations and additional data gathered, requiring inputting not only in to HER but HLC datasets. HER data is readily updateable, within extant GIS systems designed for such purposes. The HLC as yet does not have a well defined management system, and there are other related issues. For example the HLCs represent a timeline of data synthesis of the state of the landscape at that time – therefore there are additional issues of archive copies, with live updated current versions of the HLC, that is versioning of the GIS dataset to create an established series of time-lines or versions of update.
Other issues are that of dissemination, training and use of such records within the wider community, costs or fees for use, training, web access and management. Who is going to provide the resource for the maintenance of these new more holistic, encompassing and integrated HERs?
!!E.5.7 Applications for HLC
HLC has many uses and applications from simple viewing of layers to more complex analysis.
It is advised to consult The Applications of HLC (Clarke et al 2004), illustrated here, which describes in detail, the main uses to which HLC has been put to date – though it is thought there are many other potential applications yet to be identified.
The ranges of application vary from heritage, archaeological potential mapping, sensitivity mapping, conservation zones, landscape (LCA), farming, agri-environment schemes, minerals, coastal zone management, planning (strategy and policy), development control, research, local applications, parish surveys and public outreach. The list is constantly expanding with greater awareness of HLC and HER data and with greater experience.
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[{Image src='fig54.jpg' alt='Figure 54: Entry Level Scheme for CAP reforms (©LaMIS 2007).'}]
''Figure 54: Entry Level Scheme for CAP reforms (©LaMIS 2007).''
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HLC in conjunction with other historic data can support the Entry Level Schemes (ELS) and Higher Level Schemes (HLS) under Common Agricultural Policy, replacing the former Countryside Stewardship and ESAs schemes. The Land Management Information Service (LaMIS) illustrated here (figure 54) is one response to this issue. It supplies map-based information, including HER data, to assist farmers and other land mangers in devising appropriate ELS and HLS applications and in meeting their cross-compliance obligations.
The potential for modelling HLC has yet to be realised and here there is great promise awaiting development. Future modelling may well be dictated in response to various issues, of HLC in conjunction with other data – whether historic or from other sources, for example ecological, natural, census, sociological. A few ideas are noted below, to stimulate further work.
Similarly, the people who may use HLC in pursuit of their activities range far and wide in their backgrounds and levels of expertise and will no doubt expand as HLC data becomes more widely known and accepted.
This page (revision-31) was last changed on 18-Sep-2012 10:40 by Alison BennettTop