Examples of projects using Historic Landscape Characterisation

Two projects are currently being designed which will use Historic Landscape Characterisation with local community involvement. The Chilterns Historic Landscape Characterisation project is concerned with providing more detail on the historic landscape of the Chilterns than the first project did by looking at linear features such as roads, footpaths and hedgerows and also by looking in more detail at settlements.

The first project classified settlements only as historic core or modern. The Chilterns project will use a more detailed classification system to date different elements of a settlement. Communities in the Chilterns will be asked for volunteers to undertake an assessment of the date of buildings within settlements. They will receive appropriate training and be asked to do swift surveys of the villages in their area. This will lead to a better understanding of the development of settlement in the Chilterns area.

The Princes Risborough Countryside Group is involved with another project. This will use the Historic Landscape Characterisation data as a base for a countryside survey around Princes Risborough. They will do documentary research and undertake fieldwork to check and complement the interpretation of the landscape defined by the Historic Landscape Characterisation project. They will hopefully be able to take the interpretations further back in time and add detail to the broad brush approach of Historic Landscape Characterisation.

Click here to see other examples of community based archaeology projects or to find out how you can get involved in archaeology.

Click here to find out more about heritage resources.