Coventry Historic Environment Record

Extract from 1851 Coventry Board of Health Map showing Shut Lane Mill, Coventry

The Coventry Historic Environment Record (HER) contains information about the archaeology and history of the city centre and its suburbs. The HER will eventually record all aspects of the landscape that have been built, formed or influenced by past human activity.

The compilation of the HER is an exciting project, which has been underway since May 2003. It will eventually consist of a series of computerised maps, these will show what the landscape of Coventry was like from the earliest prehistoric times to to the 21st century.

Many different sources of information are being used to help create the computerised maps, including: historic maps; documents; aerial photographs; archaeological fieldwork reports; published books; and, unpublished research. These sources of information form an important part of the HER and are available for viewing by the public.

The HER also holds information on Coventry's Scheduled Monuments, these are nationally important sites and structures which are protected by the law.

Anyone can request information from the HER. If you are interested in discovering the history of a particular place in Coventry, or if you want to find out about the archaeology of the city, the HER is a good place to start. The HER also holds information about who owned various plots of land, and who lived in particular properties, during the 18th and 19th centuries. So if you are researching your family's history the HER might be a useful source of information.

The HER is also used by the council's Planning Archaeologist to assess the impact of development proposals on archaeological sites, and to ensure that archaeological remains are protected by the planning process.

The development of the HER is an on-going project and it will be several years before the whole of Coventry has been covered. Information is available by request, or by making an appointment to visit our office between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

In the future, the public will be able to access the HER from computer terminals in the new History Centre - which is currently being built as part of the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery redevelopment.

Contact details

Anna Wilson - Historic Environment Record Officer

Conservation and Archaeology Team

Civic Centre 4

Much Park Street

Coventry CV1 2PY

Telephone: 024 76832795

Fax: 024 76832630

e-mail: anna.wilson@coventry.gov.uk

Archaeology and development

Coventry Historic Environment Record

Contact details

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