Welcome to the UK HER Manual

The UK Historic Environment Record (HER) Manual provides best-practice advice on how to manage a dynamic HER. It is published on a web-based platform through Knowledge Hub (KHub), where it can be kept up-to-date through comments, discussion and revision.

The definitions used in the manual for the Historic Environment Records (HERs) and historic environment, build on those developed in England, Scotland and Wales:

• Historic Environment Records (HERs) contain information about the historic environment for a defined geographic area. The records are based on extensive research and investigation and have been created over many decades for public benefit.
• The historic environment is the physical evidence for past human activity. It connects people with place, and with the traditions, stories, and memories associated with places and landscapes. It includes all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and landscaped and planted or managed flora.

The scope and character of HERs have continued to develop since the first examples, known as Sites and Monuments Records, were created more than 60 years ago. Today, a network of over 100 HERs provide complete coverage across the UK. The unique way in which each HER has been created and enhanced informs the records as they exist today. The UK HER Manual has been written with this variability in mind. It has also been written in the light of changes to their status (in both England and Wales there is now a statutory duty to maintain HERs), the important role they play providing information and advice to the public, and the need for their continued development to respond to new challenges such as climate change.

The UK HER Manual builds on previous work, specifically revising and updating working guidelines referred to as Informing the Future of the Past, the latest iteration of which was published as a Wiki page in 2012. The manual has been designed to complement other sources of information about HERs, for example ‘A Guide to Historic Environment Records (HERs) in England’, and Welsh guidance on HERs, including standards and benchmarks.

In response to feedback from specialists who manage HERs, the manual includes more case studies, has reduced the total word count by streamlining its structure, and provides links to other sources of information wherever possible, in place of duplication or summaries. It is, therefore, essential as both a guide to best practice and as a signposting document.

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by Historic England and managed by Emily La Trobe-Bateman.

The first phase of the project was undertaken by Idox plc. and Alice Cattermole Heritage Consultancy. The second phase of the project was undertaken by Alice Cattermole Heritage Consultancy. The editorial work was undertaken by Alice Cattermole with Emily La Trobe-Bateman, Richard Hoggett and Sylvina Tilbury.

The project Advisory Group and others provided detailed feedback, comments and suggestions on the text throughout the project. Thanks are due to Graham Appleby (Leicester City Council), Andrew Armstrong (Gloucester City Council), Nick Boldrini (Durham County Council), Victoria Bowns (Hull City Council), Stuart Cakebread (Historic England), Sally Croft (Cambridgeshire County Council), Nick Davis (Historic England), Rob Edwards (Cheshire West and Chester), Keith Elliott (Scottish Borders Council), Anthony Firth (Historic England), Tim Grubb (Gloucestershire County Council), Richard Hoggett (Colchester Borough Council), Maya Hoole (Historic Environment Scotland), Charina Jones (RCAHMW), Alfie Lien-Talks (York University), Bruce Mann (Aberdeenshire Council), Emma McBride (Department for Communities, Northern Ireland), Marion Page (Historic England), Claire Pinder (Dorset Council), Jackie Pitt (Oxfordshire County Council), Alex Richards (Historic England), Donna Robinson (National Trust), Rhonda Robinson (Department for Communities, Northern Ireland), Calli Rouse (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust), Rachel Salter (West Sussex Council), Ian Scrivener-Lindley (Highland Council), Ben Wallace (ALGAO UK/England), Helen Wells (Leicestershire County Council), Alan Whitney (Hampshire County Council) and Julia Wise (Buckinghamshire County Council)

Numerous HER colleagues shared Case Studies, policy documents and feedback on specific topics. Thanks are due to Derek Alexander (National Trust for Scotland), Grahame Appleby (Leicester City Council), Beth Asbury (West Berkshire HER), Jude Dicken (Manx National Heritage), Emily Hathaway (Worcestershire County Council), Bill Horner (Devon County Council), Pete Insole (Bristol City Council), Eleanor Kingston (Lake District National Park Authority), Stephanie Knight (Devon County Council), Bruce Mann (Aberdeenshire Council), Sheena Payne-Lunn (Worcester City Council), Jackie Pitt (Oxfordshire County Council), Daniel Rhodes (National Trust for Scotland), Alex Richards (Dartmoor National Park Authority), Calli Rouse (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust), Stefan Sagrott (Historic Environment Scotland) and Richard Watts (Lincolnshire County Council).

Technical support for the set up of this site was provided by Liz Copeland, Placecube Ltd, and Len Branson and Edmund Lee, Historic England.