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.
Introduction to the
guidelines
A. An introduction
to Historic Environment Records
A.1.1 The information resource
A.2 How and why did SMRs and HERs develop
A.3.2 Local government departments
A.4 National heritage legislative and policy framework
A.5
Local authorities and planning
A.6 What are the links to other records?
A.6.3 National networks and
resources
A.7 HERs as public information services
A.8.1 Strategic development and
co-ordination
A.8.6
From SMRs to HERs – evolution or revolution?
B. How do you manage an Historic Environment Record?
B.2.2 How can forward plans help?
B.2.3 What should be included in a
forward plan?
B.2.4 The forward planning process
B.2.6 Monitoring progress and
reviewing the plan
B.3.2 Understanding continuing
professional development
B.3.4 The Institute of Field
Archaeologists (IFA)
B.3.6 The Institute of Historic
Building Conservation (IHBC)
B.3.7 Other relevant organisations
B.3.8
Training and CPD in HERs
B.4.2 Updating the recording policy
B.4.4
Inclusion of archaeological science data in HERs
B 5.2 Image management
systems
B 5.3 Archaeological science data
B 5.4
OASIS and data exchange procurement
B.6
Data standards for the historic environment
B.6.1 What are data standards?
B.6.2 Why are data standards needed?
B.6.4
The FISH interoperability toolkit
B.7
Management of Data Standards – FISH
B.8
Managing HER Information Systems
B.8.1 Technical support for HER
systems
B.8.3 Procuring new information
systems
B.9 Intranets and the Internet
B.9.3 Metadata for electronic
resources curated by HERs
C. Recording practice guidelines
C.1 Data dictionaries and recoding practice guidelines
C.1.1 Keeping the recording practice
guidelines up to date
C.1.2 Quality assurance
procedures
C.2 Modelling the past on HERs
C.2.4 Implementing a data
model for HERs
C.3
Case study, recording events and monuments: Throckmorton Airfield, Worcestershire
C.4.1 The level of detail at which
records will be created
C.4.2 Levels of interpretation:
elements, monuments and landscapes
C.4.3 Relationships between records
C.5.1 HER numbers and other
identifiers
C.5.2 Core data for monuments
records
C.5.3 A typical monument record
C.5.4
Indexing monument records
C.7.1 A constant feature of HER
databases
C.7.2 Core data standards for events
C.8.2 Distinguishing sources and
events
C.8.3 Interpreting monuments from
sources
C.9 Levels at which sources will be catalogued
C.10.1 Core data standards for
sources
C.10.2 A
typical source record
C.11 Consultations
and planning casework
C.11.1 The archaeological
conservation process
C.11.2 The historic buildings
conservation process
C.11.3 Why record conservation
advice?
C.11.4
Consultation record and recommendations
C.12.2 Management recommendations
C.12.4
Case study, recording monument management: Shooting Butts Barrow, Shropshire
D How do you compile, maintain
and enhance an HER?
D.1 Compilation – the beginnings
D.2 How does your recording policy fit in?
D.3
Compilation from basic sources
D.3.1 National heritage datasets
D.3.2 Compilation from documentary
sources
D 3.3 Recording maritime heritage
D.3.4 Compilation from digital
sources
D.3.5
Approaches to compilation from basic sources
D.4 Keeping up to date with fieldwork
D.4.1 Existing digital resources
D.4.2 Planning guidance and new
fieldwork
D.4.3
Importing digital data from external sources
D.5
HERs and enhancement projects
D.5.1 National projects and
programmes
D.5.2 Local Authority partnerships
D.5.3 Local groups and societies
D.5.5 National Thematic Recording
Projects
D.6
Case studies of HER enhancement projects
D.6.1 Creating an event record and
GIS layer (WoSAS)
D.6.2
Providing historic mapping for the HER: Worcestershire Tithe Map Project
D.6.3 Creating a deposit model for
the Palaeolithic in Worcestershire
D.6.4 Funerary and ritual sites
(Clwyd-Powys)
D.6.5 The Shorewatch
(SCAPE) project (Univ St Andrews)
E. Geographic Information
Systems (GIS), mapping and spatial data
E.1 Geographic information in HERs: maps and GIS
E.1.3 GIS and spatial databases
E.2.1 Modelling and documenting
spatial data
E.2.2 Systems to work with spatial
data (GIS)
E.2.5
Useful websites and references
E.3.1 Uses of GIS and spatial data
E.3.2 Linking GIS to text databases
E.3.3 Developing HER layers in the
GIS
E.3.4 Mapping features on the GIS
E.4 Spatial data standards and documentation
E 4.1 National and international
spatial standards
E 4.3 Useful websites and references
E.5 Historic Landscape Characterisation
E.5.5
Issues relating to how HLC may complement the HER
E.5.6
Data maintenance and update
F.1 HER information
services policy
F.4 Access and charging policies
F.4.2 Commercial value of HER
information
F 4.4
Copyright, database right and licensing
F.5 Legislation
applicable to gathering, storage, use and supply of archaeological information
F.5.1
The Data Protection Act (1998)
F.5.2
The Freedom of Information Act (2000)
F.5.3
The Environmental Information Regulations (2004)
F.5.4 Implications for HERs of FOI
and EIR
F.6 The questions people ask of HERs
F.6.1 A user driven perspective
F.6.3
Search mechanisms and output types
F.7 Developing public access and outreach
F.8 HERs and the World Wide Web
F.8.2 Making HER resources available
online
F.8.3 Information gateways and
portals
F.8.4 Records on-line:
case studies
G Glossary and
List of Abbreviations
G.2
Projects and information resources
G.3
Legislation and conservation measures
G.7
Information management systems and recording practice
G.10
Information technology and the internet
H.
Bibliography and further reading
I.3
Information technology and the World Wide Web
I.10.5 Information gateways/portals
|
Figure no. |
Caption
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|
A |
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|
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) |
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3 |
HERs and other records |
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B |
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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 |
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C |
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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 |
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D |
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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 |
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E |
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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. |
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F |
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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. |
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Panel no. |
Caption
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A |
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1 |
The national
legislative and policy framework for HERs |
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B |
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2 |
A self assessment checklist of standards for HER services |
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3 |
Examples of the use of fields to record
archaeological science data |
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4 |
Tools for indexing and retrieval: 1.
Wordlists |
|
5 |
Tools for Indexing and retrieval: 2.
Thesauri |
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6 |
Elements of the Dublin Core |
|
7 |
Disaster plan template |
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C |
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8 |
Example of type and phase monument recording |
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9 |
Example of additional attributes for monument recording |
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E |
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10 |
Potential Modelling for HLC |
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F |
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11 |
Model policy statement, access to buildings, facilities,
services and information |
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12 |
Example of an assessment of disabled access (Buckinghamshire HER) |
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13 |
Example of a breakdown of reason for interest in HER Information |
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 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.