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Historic environment record

The Lancashire Historic Environment Record (HER) holds information about more than 40,000 sites across the county. This includes:

  • Standing ruins

  • Prehistoric and medieval earthworks (old mounds and ditches)

  • Features seen on aerial photographs

  • Finds such as medieval pottery

  • Historic landscapes, townscapes, and buildings

  • Reports on archaeological fieldwork and building recording

The HER also has details of all scheduled monuments and listed buildings in Lancashire, as well as information from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

How the HER works

Each site is recorded on a computer. This means information can be shown on a map or in a table, making it quick to search, sort, and print.

The HER is updated regularly. New sites and finds, and extra details about existing sites, are added by professional archaeologists, museums, local researchers, and members of the public. If you have information to add, you can write to us or email archaeology@lancashire.gov.uk. Please include as much detail as you can about the site.

Accessing the HER

You can access the Lancashire HER, but you must arrange your visit in advance. There is no public access terminal. A Lancashire County Council staff member will search the HER and provide the information you need.

Contact details

Lancashire Historic Environment Record
Planning and Environment Service
PO Box 100
County Hall
Pitt Street
Preston
PR1 0LD

Email: archaeology@lancashire.gov.uk

Using HER information

The HER holds a wide range of historic information. We try to provide data for non-commercial use free of charge, where possible.

If you need information for commercial use, there is usually a charge. Fees are set using the Lancashire Historic Environment Record charging policy.

The HER is often used as a tool in the planning process.

Lancashire Heritage Explorer

Many of the records on the HER are available to view on the online Lancashire Heritage Explorer (LHE).

The LHE is an Interactive Map which serves as a gateway for the general public, community groups and schools etc to explore local heritage. It contains a simplified selection of the full HER and doesn't include findspots or details of archaeological events, the Urban Archaeological Database, or Historic England mapping projects which are available on the Historic England website.

The LHE will be updated at regular intervals with data from the LHER. This is to ensure data is curated before publication. We aim to update the data on the LHE approximately every quarter, so do keep revisiting the site.

Professional users

Professional users are advised that use of the Lancashire Heritage Explorer does not constitute a full Historic Environment Record (HER) search, and LHE’s use is unsuitable for planning related functions. Reports that rely on LHE data may, therefore, be rejected for planning purposes. If you’re unsure if using the LHE will be appropriate for your purposes, please contact: archaeology@lancashire.gov.uk to clarify.

Historic Town Survey and Landscape Reports

Printed copies of 33 Historic Town Survey Reports and several Historic Landscape Character Reports are often available at reference libraries. Copies can also be provided on CD (charges apply for commercial users). Reports are available for:

  • Accrington, Bacup, Barnoldswick, Blackburn, Blackpool, Carnforth (and Warton), Chorley, Church and Oswaldtwistle, Clitheroe, Colne, Darwen, Fleetwood, Garstang, Great Harwood, Haslingden, Hornby, Kirkham, Lancaster (not the town centre), Leyland, Longridge, Lytham St Annes, Morecambe, Nelson, Newburgh, Oswaldtwistle (with Church), Ormskirk, Padiham, Poulton-le-Fylde, Preston, Rawtenstall, Ribchester, Slaidburn, Warton (Lancaster, with Carnforth), Whalley

Historic Landscape Characterisation Programme reports include:

  • Main Project Report (2002)

  • Perceptions of the Historic Landscape (2003)

  • The Historic Landscape of the Forest of Bowland and the Lune Valley (2004)

  • The Historic Landscape of Chipping Parish (2004)

  • The Historic Landscape of Whittington Parish (2004)

A collection of historic landscape documents can be found online at Pathways to cultural landscapes.