1. Desk Research: How do you find WW1 remains? An introduction to the local Historic Environment Records by Keith Elliott, Secretary of the CBA North Region and formerly Northumberland Historic Environment Record Assistant (now Warwickshire Assistant Historic Environment Officer)

2. What is a Historic Environment Record (HER)? comprehensive records of all known archaeological finds, sites and landscapes of all periods, types and forms in defined geographical areas successors to Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs)… …but have increased our coverage to include Modern (including WW1 sites), buildings and landscapes, finds and palaeoenvironmental information records of archaeological work carried out – even where no monuments located or finds were made data has two components; a mapped location and database entry

3. What information do HERs collect? all archaeological periods – from Palaeolithic to Cold War – compiling information from many sources cropmarks and earthworks, extant and ruined buildings, structures and sites from documentary records core information is period, type or form nationally agreed database terms to allow easy searching, e.g. “battery” or “battery” + “Modern” for sites and pieces of work… …as well as with/without geographical information, e.g. parish use a unique number to identify the site

4. Database entry and mapping (overall)

5. What do HERs do? HERs are tools – we are the evidence base for assessing planning applications, and stewardship applications repository for reports derived from planning work can be used for much more – such as by all researchers of time, period and/or place, as the basis for projects, education and tourism We rely upon the return of info!

6. Where can I access HER information? HERs are located in local authority areas, though some work across a number of local authority areas They are usually located in planning sections HERs nationally are listed on the Heritage Gateway website, some are online… (where complementary information can be also found) …most of the North East’s HERs are all available in some way online

7. What information do HERs hold? The core of our information is in our database and mapping packages We also hold some sources ourselves; particularly aerial photographs, old OS mapping, some journal and book publications HERs receive reports (grey literature) from developer-funded work, as well as information from other research, e.g. Historic England National Mapping Programme and Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment, the Portable Antiquities Scheme etc The HER is a signpost to where further details can be found

8. Where and who are the local HERs? There are six HERs with some North East coverage These are ; Northumberland (Northumberland and National Park) ‘Tyne and Wear’ (the former Tyne and Wear County) Durham (County Durham and Darlington Borough) Tees Archaeology (Hartlepool and Stockton) Redcar and Cleveland (Redcar and Cleveland) North Yorkshire Moors National Park (a small snippet)

9. What information can I access? As noted already some local HER information is online; Northumberland and Durham has some available through the Keys to the Past website – searchable by period, type, county with interactive (as points) ‘Tyne and Wear’ through the Sitelines website – searchable by period, type, area, borough, but with no mapping Tees through links of the Tees Archaeology website – searchable by period, with mapping of locations, and with summary details of period, type and name Information can also be requested by contacting the HER direct – this is best expressed if you can write down what information you would like

10. Northumberland and Durham

11. Tyne and Wear

12. Teesside

13. What information can you get? An HER report from the database entries with the unique HER number The entry will typically show the period, type and form of the sites… …crucially this will also the source/s used (which might be from one source to many) An annotated map showing where the sites are There may be other sources that the HER can highlight, such as aerial photographs Information can be requested through a number of ways – email, post, telephone and fax

14. Database entry and mapping (specific) These are the Blaeberry Hills practice trenches First noticed from APs in the 1980s Survey and excavation 2008 which found the western set Historical research and AP work 2014 Final report 2015? “ [on the]..moorland above the town, a position on which was selected and each company was given a length…”

15. What information do we have on WW1? All the local HERs have some information on WW1 sites – we have a very good history of recording such sites These include the main coastal defence batteries, the military installations, practice trenches and war memorials Much has come from the Rapid Coastal Assessment Zone survey from aerial photograph work carried out for English Heritage Northumberland and Tees HERs have prepared handouts of what is known for WW1 sites in their coverages So is there anything to do?

16. Are there things to do? Yes – there are things to do; some of our sites are only ‘known’ through documentary records – we don’t know if anything remains at them or some of the locations are vague sites may be better classified than we know of them some sites have not reached our records at all – we just don’t know about them at all

17. What information would we like on WW1? What would be particularly useful; more information on known sites (which are usually military ones) work for the ‘soft’ sites – the other sites that saw WW1 military use, like a country house as a hospital, and the other short-lived sites work where Home Front Legacy topics coincide with HER Audit work field-visits would be useful to establish what remains at some sites visits to the local archives to check the locations of sites your highlighting in other projects the site-based aspects Contact your HER for specific topics that will suit you and them!

18. Local sources of information The HERs provide a signpost to what is ‘known’ – there are people behind the machines! Other useful national sources are; War Office Northern Command, 1918. List of Lands and Buildings in the Occupation of the War Department… * Regimental histories – e.g. Historical Records of the 18 th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (1 st Tyneside Pioneers) Morris, J, 1925. German Air Raids on Great Britain 1914-1918 Barclay, G J, 2014. The Built Heritage of the First World War in Scotland http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/built-heritage-ww1.pdfhttp://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/built-heritage-ww1.pdf

19. But bear in mind… HERs cover current local authority areas, so remember Northumberland, Newcastle, County Durham and North Riding of Yorkshire in all record searches… …but Berwick-upon-Tweed came under Scottish Command during WW1 remember some sites continued on – e.g. Post-Medieval into WW1 there are a range of projects and studies to tap into

20. Contact details Northumberland – Liz Williams, Heritage and HER Officer, archaeology@northumberland.gov.uk; http://www.keystothepast.info/ archaeology@northumberland.gov.uk http://www.keystothepast.info/ Tyne and Wear – Jennifer Morrison, Archaeology Officer, Jennifer.Morrison@newcastle.gov.uk; http://www.twsitelines.info Jennifer.Morrison@newcastle.gov.ukhttp://www.twsitelines.info County Durham – Nick Boldrini, HER Officer, archaeology@durham.gov.uk; http://www.keystothepast.info/ archaeology@durham.gov.ukhttp://www.keystothepast.info/ Tees Archaeology – Rachel Grahame, Archaeologist (HER), rachel,grahame@hartlepool.gov.uk; http://www.teesarchaeology.com/projects/HER/HER.html rachel,grahame@hartlepool.gov.uk http://www.teesarchaeology.com/projects/HER/HER.html For the others see the Heritage Gateway website