North West RCZAS NMP

The North West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (RCZAS) followed on from the previous surveys of the Yorkshire Coast and Humber Estuary and the North East Coast and like those included an air photo interpretation element as part of the National Mapping Programme (NMP). This mapping project covered the inter-tidal zone and a minimum 1km-wide strip of coastline between the Anglo Welsh border in the south and the Solway in the north. The primary aim of this RCZAS was to enhance the record of the coastal archaeology of north-western England, and identify sites at short-term and medium-term risk in the coastal hinterland. The NMP element of the project was undertaken by contractors and staff from Archaeological Research Services Ltd. NMP mapping was completed in the spring of 2009 and a report will be produced that will feed into the broader project report.

Adding over 1000 new records for the survey area, the project increased the number of known sites by over 50%. As with the North East survey, a very high proportion of these sites were related to World War II and included evidence of bombing raids and the damage caused.

There was also extensive evidence of the fishing industries associated with the west coast such as these structures seen on the seabed in Morecambe Bay that are thought to be the remains of disused mussel beds.

The images used on this page are copyright English Heritage unless specified otherwise. For further details of any photographs or other images and for copies of these, or the plans and reports related to the project please contact the NMR English Heritage's public archive.

For further information on a project or any other aspect of the work of the Aerial Survey team please contact us at: AerialSurvey@english-heritage.org.uk.