Merseyside Historic Environment Record
A pre-11th century 'Hogback Stone' from West Kirby
Consulting the MHER
The Merseyside Historic Environment Record (MHER) will re-open on 5 December 2012. The daily rate for access to consult the MHER is £500 (+ VAT) with a minimum period of half a day.
To consult the MHER, please contact HERenquiries@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk|
Please note that no planning advice can be given. The responsibility for maintaining or providing access to the MHER remains that of the Local Authority, as set out in National Planning Policy Framework (Para. 169: “Local planning authorities should either maintain or have access to a historic environment record”.) Since the withdrawal of funding by the five Merseyside local authorities, National Museums Liverpool has opened the MHER for access only as an interim measure, pending a long-term resolution of the funding and location of the Record.
Background information
The Merseyside Historic Environment Record (HER) is the central body of information on the historic urban and rural environment of Merseyside. It forms part of a comprehensive network of historic environment records containing information on England's past and our changing historic environment. There is a HER in each county/unitary or group of metropolitan local government areas of England, typically consisting of a database with attendant documentary and cartographic local research sources.
HERs are recognised by Government and in local policy plans as key records to assist in the identification, conservation, management and wider understanding of and the promotion of our historic environment (Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment. DCLG March 2010).
Most HERs contain information on non-designated heritage assets predominantly of historic and archaeological interest in the form of individual sites and remains above/below ground/under water, buildings, artefacts, landscapes. HERs also include information on designated heritage assets (as subject to the relevant legislation). Mainly local authority based services; HERs are primarily used to assist in the conservation management of the historic environment as part of the planning and development management process. Other users are national and local organizations, historic environment professionals, researchers and members of the public and students. HERs management, maintenance and operation requires particular expertise, as does the interpretation of the information for providing specialist advice.
The information in HERs is not static, as the results of new discoveries and investigations are added, thus increasing knowledge of an area and ability to share the information.
Merseyside HER boundaries and content
The Merseyside HER covers the five local government unitary authorities of Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens & Wirral (formerly the county of Merseyside).
The Merseyside HER relates to a full range of information on the historic environment of Merseyside: terrestrial, inter-tidal, some marine sites and consist of known archaeological/historical sites, finds, buildings/structures documentary written evidence, photographs, excavation and survey details etc. Information is as diverse in range as in age. For instance, the periods cover evidence from the prehistoric to the more modern, e.g. information on a prehistoric flint tool artefact to an upstanding 19th century Listed Building.
For further information about the Merseyside HER please download the guide below: