Historic Environment Record (HER) and Sites and Monuments Record (SMR)

Local authorities (and other institutions like the National Trust) maintain a record of all the archaeological sites in their area. This record also includes details of isolated finds, sites identified from documentary evidence and any archaeological works (known as interventions) that have gone on in the vicinity. This record was previously known as the as the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) but has recently been expanded to include a wider range of data including built heritage sites. The HER is generally kept by the Heritage or Archaeology Section of the local authority and a visit to view the records forms part of the preparation for a desk-based assessment.  The Council may levy a charge for this visit which is included in our fixed price tenders. A number of local authorities have placed a shorter version of the HER on the web. For Durham and Northumberland see the Keys to the Past web site, devised by Caroline Hardie of Archaeo-Environment in partnership with Durham County Council when she was County Archaeologist for Northumberland.

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