Coventry Historic Environment Record - Print version

Coventry Historic Environment Record - What is it?

The Coventry Historic Environment Record (HER) consists of a publicly accessible database, mapping and supporting documents that contain information about all known archaeological sites, historic buildings, historic landscapes and findspots in Coventry, dating from the earliest prehistoric times through to the 21st century.

The HER also holds information about Coventry's Scheduled Monuments and Listed Buildings (nationally important sites, structures and buildings that are protected by law), as well as Locally Listed Buildings and Conservation areas.

Many different sources of information are used to update the HER, including: historic maps, unpublished documents, aerial photographs, archaeological fieldwork reports, published books and published research. These sources are an important part of the HER and are available and can be viewed at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum archives [https://www.theherbert.org/history_centre/default.aspx].

Furthermore, the HER contains historic landscape data, based on historic documents (such as estate maps, tithe maps and apportionment documents). These show how the landscape of Coventry looked at various times in the past.

The HER is used to inform strategic and local policies for conserving the historic environment, as well as providing the information base for recommendations made by archaeologists in response to planning applications and other proposals.

Getting information from the Coventry HER

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, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. So if you are researching your family history the HER might be a useful source of information.

Most HER records of archaeological ‘monuments’ or historic buildings are available via the Heritage Gateway [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/] website. For the most up-to-date information on statutory designated heritage assets (Scheduled Monuments and Listed Buildings) can be found on the National Heritage List for England website [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/]. Information on Conservation Areas and Locally Listed buildings can be found online [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/conservation], with online maps [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/planningmap]. Coventry Historic Landscape Characterisation data and reports can be downloaded from the Archaeology Data Service [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/coventry_hlc_2013/].

Alternatively, send your request to us and we can send your search results via email (or even by post).

Historic Environment Record – charges and licence

We try to provide straightforward access to HER information. Much of our archaeological and historic building ‘monument’ data is accessible via the Heritage Gateway [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/] website.

We do make a charge for the time and costs incurred in supplying information to some enquirers that require lots of information, or data in a particular format; typically these are commercial enquires (from archaeological contractors and consultants). We charge a standard rate of £40 (+VAT) per hour for this, and normally these sort of enquiries take one hour to process.

We supply HER information for re-use with the following terms:

Licence for re-use of Historic Environment Record information

Re-use of Historic Environment Record information from Coventry City Council shall be under the following conditions:

• The information requested is supplied pursuant to the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations (2004) and the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations (2005).
• This information will only be used by or for the organisation that has requested it, and for the specific project for which the request was made only. All HER users will accurately inform HER staff of the purpose of their enquiry (for example, the proposed development the licence request relates to) and the use to which the information will be put (for example, desk based assessment, evaluation excavation, personal research etc.)
• The information will be released with a 12 month user licence; this may, on request, be updated up to 6 months after the original release date. If the data is required for longer than 12 months a new licence and updated information will be issued and a new charge (if necessary) raised.
• The HER must be consulted for any new research based on HER data that was supplied over 12 months previously to ensure that the data is current and without any omission of new information that the HER has received since the original request.
• All users will inform the Coventry HER of new sites or information that come to light as a result of their research. Copies of, or access to, the completed research will be made available within a timescale agreed with HER staff. We normally expect that final digital copies of reports will be uploaded with an OASIS [http://oasis.ac.uk/] entry; we don’t generally require any hard copies or any other digital copies of final reports.
• The HER database is compiled from a variety of sources and while every reasonable effort is made to verify information contained within it, the information it contains should not be seen as definitive. Therefore, Coventry City Council does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of any information supplied nor does it accept any liability for any loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on such material. The boundaries of designated heritage assets (e.g. Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, etc.) shown on any maps provided by the HER have been provided digitally by Historic England and are intended to act as a guide only. For definitive information on designated heritage assets the enquirer should contact Historic England and/or consult the National Heritage List for England [https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/hpg/heritage-assets/nhle/].
• Coventry City Council reserves all rights of copyright which are owned in the material provided. Dissemination to a third party without the written consent of Coventry City Council is a breach of that copyright, and subsequent requests for information may be refused. Information supplied shall be used for the purposes specified only, and shall not be retained after that use has finished.
• Where specific consent under the copyright provisions governing the HER has been obtained for dissemination of HER information to third parties through publications, reports or theses, due acknowledgement of the use of HER information will be given.

Coventry Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC)

Historic Landscape Characterisation is a method of mapping the present day historic character of a landscape. In Coventry an HLC project was undertaken between 2010 and 2012, funded by Historic England as part of their national HLC programme. 

The Coventry HLC Project used various sources, including historic and modern maps and aerial photographs, to examine changes in the landscape and to identify aspects of historic character that survive. The project mapped 1800 survey units within Coventry. These were recorded on a digital map (GIS) with each unit linked to a descriptive record.  These units were then analysed to create 46 Landscape Character Areas, which are described in the report.

The HLC provides a starting point for those involved in managing the direction of future landscape change and will be used by the public, researchers, heritage professionals and planners. It can be used to identify those parts of Coventry's landscape that are of historic interest and should be conserved, and those areas that can best accommodate change.  For example, the HLC Project has identified areas in the north of the city where the field patterns and inter-connecting lanes date back to the medieval period. More recent changes to the city's landscape are also of interest, one example being the 1920's development of the 'garden suburbs' at Radford, where Arts and Crafts style houses were built to accommodate munitions workers.

A report about the project, as well as more detailed reports describing each 'Character Area', and the geographic data for the HLC and Character Areas can all be downloaded from the Archaeology Data Service [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/coventry_hlc_2013/]. (The reports can also be downloaded from the Coventry City Council website [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/2996/coventry_historic_landscape_characterisation_report].)