Who benefits from our work?

You do. The results of aerial survey are used for increasing the level of protection and improving the management of sites and landscapes. This is usually by informing local authority planning decisions and so preventing unnecessary damage or destruction of archaeological sites.

Exceptionally important sites may be protected through the Scheduling process. Erosion of sites, either through natural agencies (e.g. the sea and rising sea levels) or modern agricultural methods, especially ploughing and drainage, is a major reason for accelerating this programme of research and analysis. The new information provided by aerial survey provides a greater understanding of past human settlement and land use and can be used as the basis for further research at a local or national level. All our work helps to expand and update the database of information available to everyone through English Heritage's public archive, the National Monuments Record, and you can obtain copies of any of our photographs, reports and publications from there.

We are also involved in partnerships with many other organisations that have a role to play in looking after the historic environment. These include the National Parks, County Archaeological Services, English Nature, the National Trust and the Ministry of Defence.