Shropshire Historic Environment Record

Welcome to the Shropshire Historic Environment Record (HER) homepage. The HER is also known as the Shropshire SMR (Sites and Monuments Record)

The HER

Cross Dyke and Castle Ring Stitt Hill (image) [+]
This aerial photograph shows Castle Ring and the cross-ridge dykes that dominate the summit of Stitt Hill, an outlying plateau of the Longmynd. These earthworks were probably used to divide up pastureland and control movements of livestock. Throughout it...

The Shropshire Historic Environment Record (HER/SMR) is a continuously expanding information base covering all aspects of the historic environment, including not only archaeological sites and features, but also historic buildings, structures and landscapes. The HER is compiled and maintained by the Historic Environment Team at Shropshire Council. It covers the whole of the county of Shropshire, including Telford and Wrekin.

The components of the HER/SMR

The Record consists of a relational database system linking records of Monuments (sites, features, buildings, structures, findspots and landscapes) with records of Events (Excavations, Watching Briefs, Measured Surveys, Photographic Surveys, Site Visits etc), Designations ( Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings etc) and records of Finds ( an underdeveloped element of the SMR at present). The database is linked to the County Council’s GIS (Geographic Information System), and serves as an index to extensive supporting collections of paper maps, ground and aerial photographs, survey reports and plans, excavation reports and unpublished written records, which are held in the HER along with a range of books and periodicals.

Brief History of the HER/SMR

Compilation of the Shropshire SMR began in the Planning Department of Shropshire County Council in May 1976 and it has continued to operate in a planning context ever since. Like many county SMRs, it has now (2009) evolved into a record that aspires to cover all aspects of the Historic Environment, and its title has changed to the Shropshire HER. On the formation of Shropshire Council in 2009, the HER became part of the new Historic Environment Team

The SMR began as a card index system supported by a set of 1:10560 scale record maps. Soon, its coverage was extended from archaeological sites to include historic buildings.
A very basic form of computerisation was begun in 1984, and then during the early to mid 1990s the computer records came to the fore. In 2001 the SMR database was migrated to a proper relational database. In the meantime, some initial work was done to make use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Although the HER/SMR GIS datasets still require refinement, they are now directly linked to the HER/SMR relational database, allowing these two key pieces of software to work seamlessly together.

What are the functions of the HER/SMR?

The HER/SMR is used:
• to inform the development of Planning Policies and Strategies.
• to assess the archaeological implications of proposed developments
• to provide a resource for the Conservation Officers
• to advise on the managment of the historic environment
• to provide a resource for members of the public, students, academics and consultants
• To provide a repository for unpublished archaeological research.

How can I access the HER/SMR?

File Download: Shropshire HER Leaflet

See the web page entitled " How to Access the HER"