Thousands of historic monuments at serious risk of damage are being protected by farmers through Environmental Stewardship (ES), according to a recent report.
The Heritage at Risk Register, produced by English Heritage, details more than 2,000 scheduled monuments – 10% of the national total – which have been entered into ES. Of these around 800 are ancient sites that were previously under the plough but which have since been taken out of cultivation or had their protection enhanced.
The importance of ES in positively managing scheduled monuments has been acknowledged by English Heritage. Dr Vince Holyoak, Senior Policy Adviser for English Heritage, said: "Finding sustainable long-term solutions through working with owners and third partners, notably the Environmental Stewardship scheme with Natural England, has produced remarkable success.
"The importance of archaeological sites as part of our heritage is immeasurable and their urgent needs must not be ignored. The Heritage at Risk Register equips us well to continue rescuing England’s most ancient historic remains for the future and we will do all we can to avoid this year’s success rate from slowing down or even being reversed."
Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) has a range of options which can be used to manage and protect archaeological sites, whether under cultivation or threatened by scrub, tree growth, erosion or animal burrowing. These options, outlined in the Natural England leaflet Farming for the Historic Environment, also enable farmers to maintain traditional farm buildings and boost their business. In addition, Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) can fund capital repairs to eligible standing structures and historic buildings.
A range of scheduled sites have now been protected through both land management options and capital works. Last year, for example, HLS helped fund repairs to Shittleheugh Bastle in Northumberland (a bastle is a type of defensible farmstead built in the 16th and 17th centuries that is unique to the North East). The bastle, a scheduled monument in serious danger of deterioration and identified as a ’building at risk’ by English Heritage, was given painstaking and sensitive repairs. Loose stones were carefully rebedded, masonry repointed and lost building stone replaced. The bastle is no longer at risk and has been safeguarded for future generations to enjoy. In addition, the project has received a prestigious award from the construction industry. In May this year the Constructing Excellence in the North East Awards gave its ’Heritage Award’ to Shittleheugh in recognition of the excellent standards employed in the repairs.
Miss Linden Craven, whose 500-acre sheep farm includes Shittleheugh Bastle, said: "I had no funds to put into the bastle so the only way help could be given was through Environmental Stewardship. It all worked extremely smoothly and the bastle now looks really good – it’s an asset to the farm."
Robin Tucker, Natural England’s Executive Director for National Delivery, concluded: "Every farm has played its part in the history of this country and many still bear fascinating traces of the past. The Heritage at Risk Register has proved to be a valuable tool for Natural England in helping to target scheduled monuments for Stewardship and I’m delighted that Natural England is able to support the many efforts that farmers are making to safeguard these monuments for future generations."