Farming Policy

Historically, the activities of many generations of farmers have created the countryside we see today and, with agriculture occupying around 70% of the land area of England, modern farmers are now the owners and managers of a major part of the nation’s cultural heritage.

It is estimated, for example, that farmland in England includes over 120,000 recorded ancient monuments, nearly 10,000 of which are designated as scheduled monuments. In addition, 30,000 "working" farm buildings (barns and animal houses) and a further 30,000 farmhouses are on the statutory lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The farmed landscape itself is also an historic document of great complexity and fragility, retaining the imprint of the farmers who worked the land throughout history and prehistory.

English Heritage therefore works closely with Defra, with other countryside conservation organisations and with farmers and land managers, in order to promote the conservation of the historic landscape. For example:

• We are closely involved in the design and delivery of Defra’s new Environmental Stewardship Scheme which will deliver important new benefits for the historic environment. If you wish to gain more information on the historic features shown on your ELS environmental information base map visit www.pastscape.org 
• We are undertaking research on traditional farm buildings, their repair and re-use;
• We have prepared guidance for farmers, land managers and farm advisers on conserving historic features in our Farming the Historic Landscape series under the HELM project;
• We are participating in work, including the Land Management Information System project to investigate how information on the historic environment can be provided most effectively to farmers and land managers;

We are pursuing a project to provide enhanced advice on the heritage to land managers by assisting local authorities to create new Historic Environment Countryside Advisers posts.