South Gloucestershire Council

What it is

The Historic Environment Record (HER) is a source of information on archaeology and the historic built environment. It is a database containing information about archaeological sites (scheduled and non-designated), historic buildings (listed, locally listed and non-designated), landscapes, battlefields, parks & gardens and other elements that make up the historic environment.

Further guidance about HERs can be found on Historic England’s website.

Consulting the HER

The South Gloucestershire HER is available for remote or digital consultation.

Commercial and large scale academic searches are charged (see costs below). Local, academic and personal research are not charged unless they take a large amount of time to produce.

Data is provided digitally in CSV and GIS files although jpeg maps can also be produced upon request. Printed maps and results are not available.

Data provided with searches are all heritage assets (designated and non-designated), events, NMP data and PAS data. Historic Landscape Characterisation data can be downloaded from the Archaeological Data Service.

How much it costs

Priority search (returned in 5 working days) = £264 (including VAT) for first two hours.

Standard search (returned in 20 working days) = £135 (including VAT) for first two hours.

Additional charges apply after the first two hours for both types of search.

How to get data from the HER

Payment for commercial enquiries must be made in advance using the online payment system. Once payment has been made email your search request to archaeology.services@southglos.gov.uk with:

• your contact details (such as your name, email address, phone number)
• your site details (provide grid ref and search radius or email GIS files)
• the purpose of your search (such as for desk-based assessment, WSI or Environmental Statement)
• level of service you have paid for

Know Your Place

To make the HER more accessible, we have worked with neighbouring authorities to create a website that allows you to explore your neighbourhood through historic maps, images and linked information. Know Your Place is about learning and sharing information about historic South Gloucestershire.

It gives you:

• wider access to South Gloucestershire’s historic maps
• access to South Gloucestershire’s HER
• your own information and images to share about South Gloucestershire and you can tell us what you think is important about the heritage of the area