The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023
The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 introduced a duty on the Welsh Ministers to compile and keep up to date a historic environment record (HER) for each local authority area in Wales. As of 2023, the 2016 act has now been consolidated with related historic environment of Wales enactments under The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. Archwilio provides online access to this core information about the historic environment of Wales, and this is supported by further material held by the Heneb HER.
Historic Environment Records were compiled and maintained by the former Welsh Archaeological Trusts (WATs) since the 1970s. The WATs merged on April 1st 2024 to form Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology , and the Heneb HER now undertakes this work on behalf of the Welsh Ministers. The records provide a comprehensive index to archaeological and historical sites, finds and investigations of all periods throughout Wales. Currently, the Heneb HER contains entries relating to over 300,000 individual assets and nearly 100,000 investigations, in databases that are continually up-dated and expanded as new information becomes available. The HER uses the information to fulfil a wide variety of functions including assisting in the positive management and presentation of the historic landscape, development management, and as a source for input to local history, conservation and tourism projects.
The Heneb HER covers all aspects of human activity in the landscape from early prehistory to recent times. Details of well- and lesser-known sites can be found, in addition to records generated by archaeological projects undertaken in the area. If you are interested in researching your local area, or finding out more about a particular historical period, this is a good place to start.
Commercial users of the HER should contact the Heneb HER team for advice on what further information may be available over and above that seen in Archwilio. Please contact the team via this enquiry form.
How you can contribute
We would be pleased to hear of any new information we don’t currently hold, or any updates to existing records. Also, if you are able to supply information but have been researching a particular area or theme, please refer to Guidance for the Submission of Data to the Heneb Historic Environment Record (HER) to help provide the right information to us.
Help
How to search the Archwilio database.
Contact Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology
We would be pleased to hear from you.
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Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology
The former Welsh Archaeological Trusts were educational charities and limited companies established in the mid-1970s with the principal object of advancing the education of the public in archaeology. The trusts maintained the Historic Environment Records (HERs) for each local authority area. On 1st April 2024 the four trusts merged into Heneb: The trust for Welsh Archaeology. Heneb continues to maintain the HER on behalf of each local authority area. The HER provides information to a variety of organisations and individuals including local and national government.
More information
Some of the words we use in HER records are from standard thesauri. Each term has a description (a “scope note”) and a Welsh translation.