Archaeology and the Historic Environment Record

The Historic Environment Record

Use the Historic Environment Record Enquiry Form to make a HER enquiry.

The Winchester Historic Environment Record (HER) is the most comprehensive source of information on the historic environment for the large rural district of Winchester. This area includes the city of Winchester, three small medieval towns and many smaller historic settlements. Information is held on archaeological monuments, historic buildings and landscapes, sites known from air photographs, and finds ranging in date from earliest times through to the modern era. Records are also held of past fieldwork such as excavations, fieldwalking and geophysical surveys that have taken place within the district.

NEW: Information from the Winchester HER is now accessible online via th Heritage Gateway http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway

The Record comprises a computerised database linked to a geographic information system, enabling a variety of searches to be undertaken, based for example on a specific location or area, or a specific type of site or period. At present the database holds over 10,000 records, a figure which is always increasing.

The HER also holds the Urban Archaeological Database for the city of Winchester, which has been developed with funding from English Heritage. As well as providing more detailed information on this historic city, it includes interpretative information, enabling a picture of the past to be built up by layering archaeological information over a modern map base. (more)

In addition to the information held within the database and GIS, the HER has access to a wide variety of paper and digital supporting collections. This supporting information includes:

• historic maps (both paper and digital)
• paper records
• photographs
• plans and unpublished reports
• Information on Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas within the district,
• A photographic and slide collection, including aerial photographs
• A small library

To access more detailed information held on the HER please contact the Archaeology Officer (tmatthews@winchester.gov.uk) or you can make an online enquiry