England has the most amazing historic environment looked after by a myriad of partners across the country. Overseeing all of this is Historic England. Historic England undertake incredible levels of activity across the country and are responsible for the National Heritage List for England (NHLE). It is the only official, up to date, register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England - listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected wrecks, registered parks and gardens, and battlefields. Commonly known as “Listing”; in England it can fall into the following categories:
- Grade 1
- Grade 2*
- Grade 2
- Scheduled Ancient Monuments
- Registered Parks and Gardens
- Registered Battlefields
- Protected Wreck Sites
- Listed Places of Worship
- Local Designation inc. Conservation Areas
The grade of a listed structure is intended to be an indication of its special interest in a national context. Scheduled monuments are not graded, but listed buildings and registered landscapes are graded I (exceptional interest), II* (particularly important, of more than special interest) or II (of special interest).
That’s the good news!
The bad news is that Historic England has a “Heritage at Risk” (HAR) register as well…
The worse news is that we have 3 Conservation Areas and numerous Scheduled Ancient Monuments on the HAR register.
Historic England are committed to try to take items off of the HAR and our key partners Northumberland Coast AONB share this commitment. As a project Coast Care has a target and more importantly a commitment to help.
This is where you as a volunteer can make a real impact! Registering as HAR Monitor will see you receive training in the exacting recording required to have an essential condition survey of the HAR site. These surveys when completed on a regular basis give an accurate body of evidence which can be hugely beneficial when it comes to assessing deterioration and most importantly when planning an intervention to help the site.
The other opportunity as a HAR Monitor for Coast Care is to undertake some research of the HAR site using the amazing Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn Colliery. This involves finding an archived image of the site and replicating that image as closely as possible today. This gives a real opportunity to assess the deterioration of a site through the ages; giving a comprehensive understanding of what has happened to place it on the HAR register.
The Northumberland Coast really does have the most amazing historic environment from Lindisfarne Priory to the World War II tank blocks and defences it covers hundreds of years. Will you be the volunteer to help us protect it for future generations?
More info: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/