HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD

MEAS adopted the Historic Environment Record (HER) in April 2014. A three-year process of digitising and enhancing the HER, working with the paper Sites and Monuments Record files dating back to the 1970s and with the grey literature of archaeological reports for Merseyside, means it is now usable as a source of sound planning evidence. From June 2016 a full service for archaeological advice relating to planning and development management is available to the local authorities of Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens and Wirral. For contact details for the HER see Heritage Gateway

Computerised details include site type, period, description of known history and condition, and sources of further information. It is linked to a Geographical Information System (GIS) which can provide information from 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps. The HER is continually updated with new information provided by professional archaeologists, local archaeological societies, historians and researchers. MEAS welcomes contributions that would add to the record, and you can submit information by email at Merseyside.HER@eas.sefton.gov.uk providing as much detail as possible about the site.

OUR RECORDS

A key role of the HER, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, is to advise developers and their agents on the location and character of known heritage assets and potential archaeological remains within a proposal area when preparing a planning application for a development. The HER is also a valuable source of information for anyone interested in the archaeology and history of Merseyside.

Our records are consulted regularly by developers, members of the public, students, researchers, and a wide variety of archaeological organisations. Sources of information available within the HER include:

  • Records of all designated heritage assets in Merseyside, such as Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Registered Parks & Gardens, Battlefields and Conservation Areas);
  • Records of non-designated heritage assets and sites of archaeological interest;
  • ‘Grey literature’ reports of archaeological fieldwork and historic building surveys conducted in Merseyside;
  • Historic mapping of the area;
  • Aerial photography of archaeological sites and historic buildings;
  • Extensive archaeological reference library.