Historic Watercourses: Developing a method for identifying the historic character of watercourses: River Stour, Dorset
Author(s): Antony Firth, Emma Firth
This project – entitled Historic Watercourses: River Stour, Dorset – has been designed and implemented by Fjordr Limited for Historic England. The project aimed to develop a means for both heritage managers and watercourse managers to identify, at a strategic level, the historic character of watercourses. The objectives of the project were as follows: To seek to increase awareness and integration of the historic character of watercourses in catchment management. To examine the scope for engaging members of the public in better understanding the historic character of watercourses. To develop a method for identifying the historic character of watercourses within a catchment, using the Dorset Stour as a case study. To disseminate information on the historic character of watercourses to heritage managers, watercourse managers and the general public. This project was framed as a pilot consistent with Defra’s Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) and was carried out in collaboration with the catchment partnership for the Dorset Stour, the Stour Catchment Initiative (SCI). The project addressed the entire length of the River Stour from its source at Stourhead in Wiltshire to the point where it reaches the sea, in Christchurch Harbour; the tributaries of the Stour were not included in this pilot. Watercourses have played a central role in the historical development of England, yet – with some key exceptions – they seem to attract little direct attention from archaeologists. Nevertheless, other sectors – flood risk, water quality, nature conservation, development and so on – are making changes to watercourses that have implications for heritage assets in their vicinity. Such changes are contemplated and planned with relatively little archaeological information or advice to hand. Many of the issues to which watercourse managers are having to respond are a consequence of the history of human intervention in watercourses, exacerbated by human-induced climate change. While it is a concern that the potential impacts of these other sectors on watercourse heritage are being ignored, it is of even greater concern that the opportunity for heritage to inform decisions in these sectors is being lost.
- Report Number:
- 273/2020
- Series:
- Other
- Pages:
- 84
- Keywords:
- Water Management Water
