Introduction#
Informing the Future of the Past: Guidelines for Historic Environment Records (second edition)#
Edited by Paul Gilman and Martin Newman
Published by English Heritage at the National Monuments Record Centre, Kemble, Drive, Swindon, SN2 2GZ.
ISBN forthcoming
©English Heritage 2007
All figures unless specified are © English Heritage. Applications for the Reproduction of images should be made to the National Monuments Record.
We gratefully acknowledge permission from the following organisations to reproduce information and illustrations:
Aberdeenshire Council, figures 57 & 58; Archaeology Data Service, figures 19 & 27; Buckinghamshire County Council, figure 56; Central Counties Air Operations Unit, figure 11; Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, figure 35; Cornwall County Council, figures: 48, 49 & 52; Essex County Council, figures: 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 39, 44, 45 & 55; exeGesIS SDM Ltd. figures: 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26 & 53; Hampshire County Council, figurer 42; Hertfordshire County Council, figures: 51 & 55; Historic Scotland, figure 68; Land Management Information System, figure 54; National Trust, figure 26; North Yorkshire County Council, figurers 23 & 24; Peterborough City Council, figure 59; Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland, figures: 50, 66, 67 & 68; Somerset County Council, figures: 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 & 69; University of St Andrews, figures: 36, 37 & 38; West of Scotland Archaeology Service, figures 28 & 29; Worcestershire County Council, figures: 11, 12, 13, 30, 31, 32, 33 & 34.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49 , 50 , 51, 52, 55, 56, 57,58, 59 62, 66, 67, 68 & 69 are based on OS maps with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty's Stationary Office ©Crown copyright. All Rights reserved. Figures 32, 33 & 34 are based on British Geological Survey (BGS) data by Worcestershire County Council, BGS Digital License 2001/125. 2007. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. OS licence numbers for each organisation basing a figure on an OS map are given in the caption for the image.
English Heritage is the Government's Statutory adviser on all aspects of the historic environment. The National Monuments Record is the public archive of English Heritage.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book will be available from the British Library
All rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or translated in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. HER Managers may photocopy this document or store an electronic copy for use within the HER.
Front cover designed by Agnes Bell. Website designed by Bruce Howard.
Cover: Moel Arthur Iron Age hillfort, Flintshire, ©Clywd Powys Archaeological Trust 84-c-0274; Fire in Park Quadrant, Glasgow in 2006, ©Crown Copyright: RCAHMS DP 009620; Shipwreck on coastline, Saltwick Bay, North Yorkshire, ©English Heritage Photo Library K020590; Archaeology, Ashby De La Zouch Castle, Leicestershire, © English Heritage Photo Library N060476.
List of Figures#
| Figure no. | Caption |
| Section A | |
| 1 | The HER 'wheel' drives and is powered by an integrated approach to conservation and understanding of the historic environment |
| 2 | Designated wreck sites (February 2005) |
| 3 | HERs and other records |
| Section B | |
| 4 | Information management cycle |
| 5 | The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage |
| 6 | The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records. |
| 7 | The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages |
| 8 | A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page |
| 9 | The FISH web site www.fish-forum.info is the starting point for finding out about data standards for the historic environment |
| Section C | |
| 10 | The event-monument-source data model |
| 11 | Throckmorton known archaeological sites prior to the 2001 Foot and Mouth epidemic |
| 12 | Placename evidence from 1774 Throckmorton Enclosure map |
| 13 | Throckmorton events undertaken as part of Foot and Mouth mitigation |
| 14 | Relationships between monument records. |
| 15 | The monument record for the chapter house at Waltham Abbey displayed in exeGesIS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
| 16 | Indexing monument records using the Thesaurus of Monument Types and other terminology lists in exeGesiS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
| 17 | Creating links between a monument record and associated people and events in exeGesIS SDM Ltd's SMR software. |
| 18 | A report showing a monument record in the Essex Heritage Conservation Record. |
| 19 | Example of a project summary page from the OASIS form |
| 20 | How an event may be recorded in an HER database |
| 21 | A typical source recorded in exeGesIS SDM Ltd's HBSMR software |
| 22 | Consultation and conservation advice |
| 23 | A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the details tab. |
| 24 | A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the consultation Stages tab and the link to the related event record. |
| 25 | Monument management process |
| 26 | Successive monument monitoring reports as recorded in the National Trust SMR |
| Section D | |
| 27 | ADS web page – Excavation Index |
| 28 | WoSAS Events 1: An example of an archaeological evaluation specified to trench level, derived from contractor supplied data. |
| 29 | WoSAS Events 2: The event record for the heart of medieval Glasgow showing numerous events as points and polygons. |
| 30 | Elmley Castle Tithe map displaying apportionment details for land use |
| 31 | 3D historic reconstruction of Elmley Castle using the digital tithe map |
| 32 | Date ranges of Worcestershire's Quaternary geology |
| 33 | Type sites selected for the Worcestershire Palaeolithic HER |
| 34 | HER data overlain on terrace deposits displayed by period |
| 35 | Maes Mochnant Standing Stone, Powys. |
| 36 | NoSAS members surveying at Loch Hourn |
| 37 | Clyne Heritage Society members working at an eroding structure on the beach at Brora, Sutherland. |
| 38 | Unst Heritage Society surveying an eroding prehistoric mound in Shetland |
| Section E | |
| 39 | Using three dimensional modelling in GIS to examine sites in their landscape setting |
| 40 | Representing the location of a heritage object within a 'virtual space'. |
| 41 | Representing the approximate location of a heritage object as a fuzzy boundary. |
| 42 | A GIS generated map showing Bronze Age barrows over Landscape Types and rivers in Hampshire |
| 43 | Relationships between HER text databases and GIS in text |
| 44 | A GIS layer showing the use of polygons to show the extent of the early 19th-century defences at Chelmsford. |
| 45 | Great Chesterford scheduled area |
| 46 | Examples of layers in a GIS |
| 47 | A new GIS layer: archaeological sites on arable land |
| 48 | The first HLC in England – carried out in Cornwall |
| 49 | A selected area of the HLC for Cornwall |
| 50 | HLAMAP – HLA as applied in Scotland (from the RCAHMS website). |
| 51 | A screen capture from GIS - Illustrating the more detailed HLC study of field boundaries in an area just north of Harlow, which is one of the mineral study areas in Hertfordshire. The thick grey lines represent modern OS mapping of surviving boundaries, whereas the various superimposed coloured lines reflect different periods of historic mapping, such as Estate, Tithe and Enclosure maps. This illustrates the degree of boundary loss and change through the past two centuries. This will enable dating of surviving field boundaries or sections thereof for future land management. |
| 52 | Urban HLC as applied in St Austell Cornwall |
| 53 | A screen capture of the HBSMR Help manual – this approach embeds the HLC within the HER. |
| 54 | Entry Level Scheme for CAP reforms |
| 55 | HLC Sensitivity Zones Map from the LCS-M11 Study |
| 56 | Illustrating some of the outputs from the MKSM study |
| 57 | HLA overlay showing a Designed Landscape. |
| 58 | SMR overlay showing same Designed Landscape as an archaeological site. |
| Section F | |
| 59 | The distribution of certain categories of HER information is often more readily understood when seen in the context of ancient topography, such as this interpretative map of part of the Neolithic fenland environment. |
| 60 | Some of the publicity material produced for the HER outreach Programme. |
| 61 | Professor Mick Aston, Somerset's first County Archaeologist, launching the website at the County Museum, Taunton Castle on 30th September 2003. |
| 62 | An example of the map page of the website, showing Bronze Age barrows in the parish of Priddy, Somerset. |
| 63 | One of the one day drop in exhibition/demonstrations of the online Historic Environment Record |
| 64 | Rachel Shaw, Education Consultant giving a talk on using the HER website to local school children, many of whom were far more adept at picking it up than most of the adults. |
| 65 | Taking a local school on an historic walk around their village based on HER information. This is the starting point of a planned local studies project for next term. |
| 66 | Sample NMRS record viewed through CANMORE |
| 67 | Site selection using a web-GIS browser: the RCAHMS CANMAP |
| 68 | Completed search on PASTMAP with map report on selected records. |
| 69 | Example Record Page from Somerset HER. |
List of Panels#
| Panel no. | Caption |
| Section A | |
| 1 | The national legislative and policy framework for HERs |
| Section B | |
| 2 | A self assessment checklist of standards for HER services |
| 3 | Examples of the use of fields to record archaeological science data |
| 4 | Tools for indexing and retrieval: 1. Wordlists |
| 5 | Tools for Indexing and retrieval: 2. Thesauri |
| 6 | Elements of the Dublin Core |
| 7 | Disaster plan template |
| Section C | |
| 8 | Example of type and phase monument recording |
| 9 | Example of additional attributes for monument recording |
| Section E | |
| 10 | Potential Modelling for HLC |
| Section F | |
| 11 | Model policy statement, access to buildings, facilities, services and information |
| 12 | Example of an assessment of disabled access (Buckinghamshire HER) |
| 13 | Example of a breakdown of reason for interest in HER Information |
Foreword#
The first version of this manual was published in 2000 and only covered Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs) in England. At that time, SMRs were beginning to extend their coverage to include the various aspects of what has become to be known as the historic environment, in the process becoming known as Historic Environment Records (HERs). That development has continued, especially in England, partly as a consequence of the recent Heritage Protection Review. In view of this, and many other changes and developments, this second, revised edition has been prepared. Furthermore, the geographical coverage has also been extended, to Scotland and Wales, following the interest and willingness to become involved of the relevant organisations, SMRs and HERs.The purpose of this manual is to provide a set of working guidelines appropriate to all HERs, large and small, and for all staff, volunteers and students involved in managing, running or supporting an HER.
The aim is not to prescribe rules or to describe every conceivable variation that might be encountered. Instead, this manual offers an overview of the standards, best practice, services and systems that are kept by everybody and highlights ideas and approaches being developed by a few. It shows the benefits of pooling ideas and using scarce resources to develop standards, systems and training that benefits all.
The guidelines that are being advocated here are compatible with the forthcoming MIDAS Heritage: The UK Historic Environment Information Standard. In England they support the recommendations being made for Historic Environment Records as part of the Heritage Protection Review.
HER managers may download and photocopy this document for use in their HER from http:\\www.ifp-plus.info
.
Acknowledgements#
This desk manual is the result of a partnership between the Archaeology Data Service (ADS), English Heritage, Historic Scotland, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) and the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO UK). The desk-manual project was managed by Bruce Howard, Martin Newman (as co-editor), and Matthew Stiff of English Heritage. Paul Gilman of Essex County Council acted as co-editor and ALGAO consultant, supported by Alison Bennett, and especially Caroline Ingle of Essex County Council who did most of the detailed editorial work, checking of web addresses, references and so forth. Special thanks are also due to Nick Davis, Rod Fitzgerald, Phil Garner and Lucy Richardson from the National Monuments Record for proof reading. The project steering committee was chaired by Dave Barrett (Derbyshire County Council), and its membership included Chris Martin (Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust), Rebecca Jones (RCAHMS), Catherine Hardman (ADS), Stuart Jeffrey (ADS), Peter McKeague (RCAHMS), Carol Swanson (West of Scotland Archaeology Service) and David Thomas (RCAHMW).The first version of this manual was edited by Kate Fernie and Paul Gilman, with the following contributors: Kenneth Aitchison (Institute of Field Archaeologists), Tony Austin, Damian Robinson and William Kilbride (Archaeology Data Service), Alison Bennett and Caroline Ingle (Essex County Council), Rob Bourn (Babtie Group), Duncan Brown, Phil Carlisle, Kate Fernie, Bob Hook, Neil Lang, Gillian Sheldrick, Robin Taylor and Laurel Tilbury (English Heritage), Tony Hurley and Alison Tinniswood (Hertfordshire County Council), Emma Jones (Warwickshire County Council), Peter Rowe (Tees Archaeology) and Nigel Pratt (then of the National Trust). For the second edition, the contributors were: Ruth Atkinson (Humber Archaeology Partnership), Talya Bagwell (Somerset County Council), Kim Biddulph (Buckinghamshire County Council), Victoria Bryant, Neil Lockett and Deborah Overton, (Worcestershire County Council), Kieran Byrne, Edmund Lee (English Heritage), Quinton Carroll (Cambridgeshire County Council), Jill Collens (Cheshire County Council), Paul Cuming (Kent County Council), Tom Dawson (University of St Andrews), Lynn Dyson-Bruce (Essex County Council), Gail Falkingham (North Yorkshire County Council), Isobel Holroyd (British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography), Susan Lisk (Oxfordshire County Council), Bruce Mann (Aberdeenshire Council), Dorothy M. Maxwell (Highland Council), Robert Mowat (RCHAMS), Ben Robinson (Peterborough City Council), Jeff Spencer (Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust), David Wheatley (University of Southampton).
IFP 2 was peer reviewed by Louise Austin (Cambria Archaeology (Dyfed Archaeological Trust Ltd.)), Kate Geary (Institute of Field Archaeologists), Bruce Mann (Aberdeenshire Council), Sarah Poppy (Cambridgeshire County Council), Hedley Swain (Museum of London), Nigel Pratt (Hampshire County Council), and Professor Ian Ralston (University of Edinburgh). The steering committee wishes to extend its thanks to the peer reviewers and to all those who have been involved the project. The committee commends this desk manual to professional staff working in local authorities, students, volunteers, and project staff.
Dave Barrett, Derbyshire County Council, Chair of the IFP2 Steering Committee.
Introduction to the guidelines#
Contributors: Dave Barrett, Paul Gilman, Gillian Grayson, Catherine Hardman, Chris Martin, Martin Newman, Carol Swanson.Historic Environment Records (HERs), as successors to Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs), are the primary source of information on the historic environment in Great Britain. They are fundamental to the conservation and management of the historic environment through the statutory planning system. They are also an increasingly valuable resource for education and the public enjoyment and understanding of the nation's heritage.
Between the mid-1960s and 2004, SMRs were established in local authorities across the UK to provide almost full national cover (with two exceptions in Scotland). This was driven largely by their role in land-use planning, which expanded after formal government guidance was issued in the early 1990s: in England by the Department of the Environment in 1990 in their Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (PPG 16) (DoE 1990a), in Wales by PPG16 (Welsh Office 1991) replaced in 1996 by Planning Guidance Wales: Planning Policy (Welsh Office 1996a), and in 2002 by Planning Policy Wales (National Assembly for Wales 2002) and Welsh Office Circular 60/96: Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology; in Scotland in 1994 by National Planning Policy Guideline 5 (NPPG 5) and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 42 Archaeology - the Planning Process and Scheduled Monument Procedures (1994). The number of HERs has increased in recent years, with the emergence of Urban Archaeological Databases (UADs) in England, the creation of new unitary authorities following local government reorganisation in 1995-98 (England) and 1996 (Scotland), and the development of HERs by the National Trust and other landowners.
In 1998, the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO), the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) and English Heritage published Unlocking the Past for the New Millennium, a statement of co-operation on SMRs (RCHME, ALGAO and EH 1998). This document emphasised the importance of SMRs for the conservation and management of the historic environment and the development and implementation of sustainable policies. The intention of the national organisations is to work toward a long-term vision of a series of locally maintained, computerised SMRs, compiled according to common data standards, accessible via networking to professionals and public alike. In Scotland the SMRs and the RCAHMS agreed a Co-Operation Statement in 2003 (published in 2005) under the auspices of the Scottish SMR Forum (SMR Forum (Scotland) 2003, available online at http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/RCAHMS_smr.doc). In Wales the Strategic Framework for Historic Environment Records in Wales was produced jointly by Cadw, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, The National Museums and Galleries of Wales and The Welsh Archaeological Trusts in 2005.
Also in 1998, ALGAO (with financial support from the RCHME) commissioned an assessment of the condition and state of development of the SMRs maintained by local authorities in England (Baker 1999a) The survey was carried out by David Baker and forms the most comprehensive survey of its kind to date. A comparable survey of Scotland was also carried out in 1999, commissioned by RCAHMS (Baker 1999b). Baker also carried out an internal report for RCAHMW in 1996 (Baker 1996). These reports highlighted the achievements and potential for SMRs to become local environmental management systems and to provide a wide range of services directly to their communities, to research as well as to the planning process. However, the report also highlighted variations between SMRs in resources, work practices and standards and identified a need for support for the professional infrastructure for SMR staff.
To help provide such support, a project was initiated in 1999 to develop an SMR desk manual. This built directly on the work of the ALGAO, RCHME and English Heritage SMR steering committee and was intended to provide a platform for training and continuous professional development for SMR staff. The desk manual was produced in a partnership between English Heritage, ALGAO and the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). Regular consultation with SMR professionals was a key feature of the project and discussion was actively encouraged in both real and virtual forums. Since publication in 2000 there have been considerable developments in record systems, both technical and working practices, and government policy prompting this current revision whose scope has also been widened to better encompass Scotland and Wales. This revised edition has also, like many SMRs have already, adopted the term Historic Environment Records (HERs) to better reflect the breadth of these records. This manual will, therefore, use 'HER' unless referring to specific actions from the past where it is clearly more appropriate to use 'SMR'. However, most of the guidance in this manual will still be applicable to records that still prefer to use the term 'SMR', for example in Scotland where (with a few exceptions) the term SMR has been deliberately retained.
Our aim in producing a manual is to offer an overview of the standards, services and systems that are already in place in HERs and to share ideas about best working practices in the HERs of today. The guidelines we recommend in this manual are based on principles agreed in Unlocking the Past for the New Millennium (RCHME, ALGAO and EH 1998), and recording practices that are compatible with MIDAS: A Manual and Data Standard - for Monument Inventories (Lee 1998). They are also intended to help HERs in attaining the standards set out in Historic Environment Records: Benchmarks for Good Practice (Chitty 2002). In this way we hope to empower HER managers to realise the full potential of their records as information management systems for the historic environment. HERs will develop in the coming years and this manual will be maintained by an HER/SMR documentation group to reflect the introduction of new working practices and new ideas.