Historic environment record
March 2008 saw the completion of a project funded by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). As well as assessing the impact on the historic environment of aggregate extraction in Warwickshire in the past, the project sought to develop strategies for its management in the future. Warwickshire is one of the West Midlands’ main sources of aggregate minerals (primarily sand and gravel, but also hard rock aggregates in the north of the County). Pressure on remaining economically viable sources of aggregates is therefore significant.
The project focused on parts of Warwickshire that may potentially produce aggregates and assessed the extent of the known archaeology within these areas. This was done using the information held within the Warwickshire HER database and aerial photographs plotted as part of the ongoing National Mapping Programme. The project has resulted in an enhanced dataset that can be used to develop appropriate responses to future mineral works, inform future strategies to protect the archaeological resource, and will feed into Warwickshire’s emerging Minerals Development Framework. The results of the project will also guide future archaeological research.
The report is also available on DVD – contact us for more details.