Heritage Information

UK heritage information resources online and free-of-charge

National

Was a database of bibliographic references covering all aspects of archaeology and the historic environment of mainly Britain and Ireland. It contained almost 200,000 references from 300 years of scholarship. In 2016 this resource was integrated into the Archaeology Data Service library.

More than 95,000 images from the Aerofilms Collection, an archive of over 1 million aerial photographs taken between 1919 and 2006.

A large archive portal with more than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 archives across the country. Over 9 million records are available for download.

One of the largest collections of aerial imagery in the world, containing tens of millions of images featuring historic events and places around the world.

England

An integrated online catalogue indexing over 1.3 million metadata records, including ADS collections and metadata harvested from UK historic environment inventories.

Museum collection with over 2 million records, representing over 3.5 million objects. Almost half of the records have one or more images.

Information on England’s local archaeological sites and finds, and historic buildings and landscapes, compiled by Historic Environment Records (HERs). Nearly two-thirds of England’s HERs are on the Gateway, others are available online through their host authority.

Contains over 1 million catalogue entries describing photographs, plans and drawings of England’s buildings and historic sites, held in the Historic England Archive.

The legal descriptions of all listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected wrecks and registered parks, gardens and battlefields in England. Also known as the Heritage List.

Database with almost 850,000 items online and covering over 200 National Trust sites and properties.

Over 700,000 records of artefacts and coins found by the public, not archaeologists as these data can be found within the local Historic Environment Office.

Online access to over a million catalogue records and over half a million images of objects in the museum collections.

Museum of London curates over 17, 000 archaeologically derived human skeletal remains, who were excavated in advance of construction or development work in the City and Greater London area.  Finds date from the Neolithic to the post-Medieval period.

Scotland

Highlights properties of architectural or historic merit throughout the country that are considered to be at risk or under threat.

The window into the RCAHMS database. It covers the results of survey and collections material, location information, site details and images on more than 300,000 archaeological, architectural, maritime and industrial sites throughout Scotland.

Search and view records for listed buildings, scheduled monuments, inventory gardens and designed landscapes, inventory battlefields and historic marine protected areas.

An interactive digital map that shows changing patterns of land-use throughout Scotland. The website includes interactive features and content, from a Glossary of illustrations and maps demonstrating how HLA interprets the landscape, to downloadable HLA reports and documents.

An interactive mapping service which offers a single point of entry into five major databases covering the built environment in Scotland.

Viewing resources ranging from listings of land ownership, details of boundary changes and Register House records, to Medical Officer of Health Reports, Farm Horse Tax Rolls, and photographs, plans and drawings of Scotland’s buildings and archaeology.

Scran offers users direct access to more than 360,000 digital resources for studying heritage and material culture. The resources include images, video clips, podcasts  and Pathfinder teaching packs linked to both the Scottish and English curriculum frameworks.

Wales

A map enabled portal for historic environment information in Wales. It allows simultaneous searching of hundreds of thousands of records relating to archaeological monuments, historic buildings and artefacts held by Cadw, the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum.

The online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW). It covers the national collection of information about the historic environment of Wales from the earliest times to the present day, with details of archaeological sites, monuments, buildings and maritime sites in Wales. There is also an index to the drawings, manuscripts and photographs held in the NMRW archive collections.

Online access to information on the historic environment records held by the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts. These records fulfill a wide variety of functions including assisting the positive management and presentation of the historic landscape, planning control, and as a source for local history, conservation and tourism projects.

Northern Ireland

Database for the six counties of Northern Ireland, holding information on approx. 16,300 sites. Includes information on Mesolithic camp sites, Bronze age landscapes preserved under bog, Early Christian monasteries, the castles of the Norman conquest and the defended houses of the Plantation settlers.

Isle of Man

Online database for museum collections, photographs and archive material, information about people, and over 800 records on sites and monuments of the island.