North West Coastal Survey

English Heritage summaries. 2007/2008

EH Project Number:	4548DT
Funded Unit:	Archaeological Research Services Ltd

This project is for a rapid coastal zone assessment of North-West England based on the methodology outlined in ‘A Brief for English Heritage Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys: North West England’ (English Heritage 2007). The area to be covered by the project is the strip of land with a width from the lowest astronomical tide level to 1km in-land from the highest astronomical tide level and running from the Anglo- Scottish border on the Solway in the North to the Anglo-Welsh border on the Dee in the South. The project is to be undertaken as a joint project involving partners from Archaeological Research Services Ltd, Cheshire County Council, the Metropolitan Authorities of Merseyside (Knowlesly, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral), Lancashire County Council, Cumbria County Council and the Lake District National Park Authority. The project is timetabled to run from 1st October 2007 – 31st May 2009.

The North West Coast has long been the subject of archaeological research, from prehistory to World War II coastal defences. Nationally important archaeological remains have been identified along this stretch of coast relating to most archaeological periods. However, as the North West Regional Research Framework (NWRRF) has recently noted, this area of coastline has not received the level of research and archaeological investigation other areas of coastline have and it is intended to use this project to foster further research and community interest in the region.

 The aim of this project is to undertake detailed desk based research which will collate and synthesise all existing archaeological data, from SMR, HER and NMR data, together with data from any published research projects and grey literature arising from development funded projects and to undertake NMP standard transcription and analysis of aerial photographs of the study area. It is envisaged that a large amount of data will be obtained from the various sources and that the systematic collation of this data into a single body of data in accordance with a nationally agreed minimum standard will produce a valuable resource for improved management of the coastal historic environment as well as for research, education and public enjoyment.
 The overarching aims of this project are as follows:
• Provide heritage information which can be fed directly into Natural England’s Shoreline and Estuary Management Programmes at the levels of plans, strategies and schemes, thereby helping to ensure appropriate protection, or mitigation of damage, to historic assets.
• Provide enhancement to the SMR/HER and NMR record of coastal heritage assets, to a nationally agreed common minimum data standard utilising Monument Inventory Data Standard (MIDAS) and INSCRIPTION wordlists, in order to permit an improved curatorial response to strategic coastal planning or management initiatives at a national and regional level
• Provide an increased factual base for the initial curatorial response to individual applications for commercial developments or schemes, in advance of more detailed evaluation and mitigation related to Environmental Impact Assessments and/or planning applications.
• Provide an assessment of the likely archaeological potential and vulnerability of all stretches of the coast.

The specific objectives of the project are as follows:

• Produce a detailed GIS of all known archaeological sites within the study area to be fed into Natural England’s Shoreline and Estuary Management Programme, the NMR and the various SMR/HER of the various project partners.
• Produce air photo mapping and interpretation to EH National Mapping Programme standards for the whole study area.

• Enhance the various SMR/HER within the study area and the NMR by providing a comprehensive GIS which will include new data acquired through the aerial photography transcription programme.

• Provide an analysis, interpretation and overview of the database by examining key themes such as relevant themes identified within the North-West Regional Research Framework (NWRRF) and other factors such as temporal, geological and spatial variation.

• Develop archaeological research frameworks and agendas in relation to the North -West coast that key in with the North West Regional Research Framework (NWRRF).

• Provide an assessment of the degree and nature of threat to the archaeological resource on the North-West coast and produce data that will allow for the creation of management policies and mitigation strategies for archaeological sites on the North- West coast and relate this data to the models of future coastal change presented in Defra’s Futurecoast study (2002) in order to update relevant Shoreline Management Plans.

• Provide an overview of coastal change from the Late Upper Palaeolithic through to modern times.

• Provide data which is compatible with the needs of other coastal managers, parallel   coastal surveys, industry and researchers.

• Increase the understanding of the archaeology of the North-West Coast amongst the public and the research community.

• Produce data and information which will assist in underpinning the second phase of this project and support any related initiatives funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund. A full and detailed Project Design will be prepared for the second phase of the project.
 

This page was published on 08/11/2007