The body was created by the National Heritage Act 1983, and operated from April 1984 to April 2015 under the name of English Heritage.[4] In 2015, following the changes to English Heritage's structure that moved the protection of the National Heritage Collection into the voluntary sector in the English Heritage Trust, the body that remained was rebranded as Historic England.[5]
Historic England's Swindon office, home to its ArchivesHistoric England's former London office at Holborn Bars
Historic England inherited English Heritage's position as the UK government's statutory adviser and a statutory consultee on all aspects of the historic environment and its heritage assets.[6] This includes archaeology on land and underwater, historic buildings sites and areas, designated landscapes and the historic elements of the wider landscape.[7] It monitors and reports on the state of England's heritage and publishes the annual Heritage at Risk survey which is one of the UK government's official statistics. It is tasked to secure the preservation and enhancement of the human-made heritage of England for the benefit of future generations.[7]
Its remit involves:
Caring for nationally important archive collections of photographs, drawings and other records which document the historic environment of England and date from the eighteenth century onwards.
Giving grants to national and local organisations for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes. In 2013/14 over £13 million worth of grants were made to support heritage buildings.[8]
Advising central UK government on which English heritage assets are nationally important and should be protected by designation (i.e. listing, scheduling, etc.).[9][10]
Advising local authorities on managing changes to the most important parts of heritage.
Providing expertise through advice, training and guidance to improve the standards and skills of people working in heritage, practical conservation and access to resources. In 2009–2010 it trained around 200 professionals working in local authorities and the wider sector.[8]
Consulting and collaborating with other heritage bodies, local and national planning organisations e.g. the preparation of the 2010 Planning Policy statement for the Historic Environment (PPS5).[12]
Commissioning and conducting archaeological research, including the publication of Heritage Counts[13] and Heritage at Risk on behalf of the heritage sector; these are annual research surveys into the state of England's heritage.
Historic England also owns the National Heritage Collection of nationally important historic sites, currently in public care. It does not run these sites as this function is instead carried out by the English Heritage Trust under licence until 2023.[14]
Management structure
The Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport appoints members of the Commission, which is the governing board of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England and oversees the work of Historic England.[15][16] Since September 2023, the chair of the Commission is Lord Mendoza.[17]
The body is run by an executive team, led since the 2015 restructuring by Duncan Wilson.[18]
The Historic England Archive: search over 1 million catalogue entries describing photographs, plans and drawings of England's buildings and historic sites
Britain from Above: the Aerofilms collection of aerial photographs, 1919–1953
