Photograph two people digging around a large tangle of mental in a trench. — Excavation and recording of the deposit in Trench 1. © Department of Archaeology, Durham University

Excavation and recording of the deposit in Trench 1. © Department of Archaeology, Durham University

What is a Historic Environment Record?

Historic Environment Records (HERs) are information services that provide access to comprehensive and dynamic resources relating to the archaeology and historic built environment of a defined geographic area.

HERs contain details on local archaeological sites and finds, historic buildings and historic landscapes and are regularly updated. This information is usually held in a database with a digital mapping system (Geographic Information System).

There are over 80 HERs in England which are maintained and managed by local authorities as the essential core of historic environment services. These are mainly county council or unitary authority based, but may also be held by joint services (i.e. more than one authority working together), district councils, and national parks. Similar records are maintained by major landowners, such as the National Trust.

We maintain and make available contact details for all local authority and most national park authority HERs in England on the Heritage Gateway