Supporting Historic England’s Strategic Agenda from the Air

A Challenging and Rewarding Apprenticeship

Starting a new role as an apprentice working as an aerial survey investigator, specialising in reconnaissance, has been an exciting challenge. I have had a huge amount to learn about the practical skills required to plan and conduct a successful aerial survey and as an important part of the programme I have deepened my knowledge of archaeology around different parts of England.

Having been in this role since May 2023, I have been keen to collaborate and learn from many of our fantastic and knowledgeable colleagues, both within the Aerial Survey team but also more widely. Understanding the activities of other teams within Historic England has enabled me to develop my approach and ensure that the work I carry out benefits theirs. Through engaging with different colleagues, I have received a wide variety of requests for photography. Some surveys help to record and monitor the condition of sites and others record sites affected by climate change issues as well as those being affected by ongoing changes such as coastal erosion. Alongside these, I continue to search for new archaeological discoveries.

Heritage health-checks from the air

My work so far has been incredibly varied, I get the amazing opportunity to photograph such a diverse range of sites from the air.

An important aspect of the survey work is monitoring the condition of scheduled monuments. This work can be both reactive – responding to reports of damage to collect evidence – and proactive, assessing the current condition of monuments and feeding back any concerning issues to those working on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk programme. I have to be on the lookout for many signs of damage such as animal burrowing, over grazing, excessive scrub growth on earthworks or clipping by the plough or the planting of damaging crops for below ground archaeology such as potatoes and sugar beet.

We have almost 20,000 scheduled entries on the National Heritage List for England and ensuring they are being cared for appropriately is a ‘monumental’ task. It feels good to be able to contribute towards the protection of scheduled monuments and ensure that they will be around for future generations to enjoy.

Recording the effects of Climate Change on heritage assets

Climate change is something that is having an ever-increasing effect on heritage assets. Damage can threaten their historical significance and new challenges arise in formulating how to adapt them to survive future threats.

Last winter I witnessed large-scale flooding events, some of which were directly affecting heritage assets. During a survey flight south of York, I observed a large proportion of the parkland at Moreby Hall, a registered park and garden, submerged by floodwater. The main house itself was also extremely close to being flooded.

During the survey I also observed many medieval sites which despite the high water managed to avoid flooding altogether. I always find it impressive how well-positioned some historical sites are and how they manage to avoid flooding even over hundreds of years of change. Modern extreme weather events may pose a heightened threat, however, and perhaps we can learn from past building practices.

Recording ahead of change

There are many archaeological sites around England facing threats from change whether it be from infrastructure development or more natural causes such as coastal erosion.

I recently surveyed the east coast, just north of Flamborough Head, East Riding of Yorkshire, in parts highly vulnerable to erosion. Dotted along this stretch of shoreline there are a vast number of wartime defences including pillboxes and anti-tank obstacles, many of which are gradually falling off the cliffs and slowly disintegrating in the sea. It is important to record these sites before they are gone as many hold not only historical value but also communal value to those with connections to the Second World War. Recording them ensures these values can be preserved and passed on to both contemporary and future generations.

Making new discoveries

An exciting aspect of my role is the continued search for new archaeological discoveries which occur in the height of summer when cropmarks reveal underlying archaeological features.

Cropmarks are formed when buried features, whether they are ditches or walled structures, affect the growth of crops, causing variations on the surface. The variations can cause changes to the colour and height of the crops, forming patterns which can be seen clearly from the air.
Every year new features are revealed, whether on entirely new sites or in the form of additional details to a site which is already recorded.

Last year I discovered a new Later Prehistoric ‘ladder settlement’ in the Yorkshire Wolds. Ladder settlements date from the Iron Age and are shaped by strings of enclosures used to keep livestock. Formed alongside a central drove way, they can often extend over many kilometres. Finding a new example of this type of settlement deepens our understanding of how Iron Age people were using the land in this part of the Yorkshire Wolds. The discovery illustrates how identifying new areas of archaeological activity can inform future research and help to build on what we know about our past.

Impacts of the work

Download Issue 27 of Historic England Research as a PDF magazine

You can download this article and the other articles in this issue as a PDF format magazine.