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Heritage Protection

The monument at Piper’s Hill at Flodden (Battle of Flodden, 1513)The monument at Piper’s Hill at Flodden (Battle of Flodden, 1513) © EH Photo library, photographer John Critchley

From Stonehenge to the mills of the Industrial Revolution, and from Norman castles to the site of the first TV transmission: in each generation, a number of exceptional places mark and celebrate human achievement, define an era, mark an important struggle or push new ideas to the limit.. Huge value is placed on the historic environment and the way in which it can educate and enrich quality of life.  English Heritage seeks to promote the understanding and enjoyment of our historic environment in order to ensure it continues to be valued and cared for.

This country’s system for heritage protection has two essential parts:

  • Identifying heritage through designation
  • Protecting it through the planning system

English Heritage, along with local authorities, has a statutory duty to protect the best examples of our nation’s varied historic environment.

English Heritage identifies heritage assets which have significance due to their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest, through listing (built structures), scheduling (archaeology) or registration (parks, gardens battlefields and historic shipwrecks).   English Heritage and local authorities work together to help manage the historic environment in the best way possible.

Local authorities play an important role in heritage protection and are responsible for the conservation of 95% of the historic environment (working in partnership with English Heritage on the conservation of Scheduled Monuments and Grade 1 and 2* Listed Buildings).  Local Authorities also have the power to designate conservation areas in any area of 'special architectural or historic interest'. All Local Planning Authorities are required to have access to conservation and design skills.

Reforming Heritage Protection

Since 2000, Government has been commited to reforming the way in which we protect our historic environment to make the system simpler, more transparent and fit for the 21st century.  English Heritage, as one of the key partners of this process, has been working with local authorities to improve the way the historic environment is looked after and identified.  More information about the Heritage Protection Reform progamme is available from the English Heritage website.

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What's New?

  • Industrial Heritage at Risk project launched
    Britain was the world’s first industrial nation and has a wealth of industrial heritage but many industrial sites have been lost or are at risk due to functional redundancy. English Heritage's survey has shown that the percentage of listed industrial buildings at risk is three times greater than the national average for listed buildings at risk.
  • Historic Environment: Local Authority Capacity (HELAC)
    The value of a well managed, protected and appreciated historic environment to both our quality of life and to the economy is well established. Heritage tourism contributes £20.6 billion to GDP a year whilst research shows that 93% of people think that in improving their local place it is important to save heritage assets.