| 5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES |
| A number of sites within the land managed by the Conservators have been designated as being of national importance as Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. It is an offence to disturb or damage such sites and any proposal to carry out below ground disturbance within them is subject to obtaining Scheduled Monument Consent. A national programme is currently considering alterations and amendments to the Schedule of Ancient Monuments, but the archaeological interest extends beyond what is a minority of sites. A wider range of sites is registered on the County Sites and Monuments Records of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. These are of local and regional importance and some may be considered for inclusion in the Schedule of Ancient Monuments in future.
The development of archaeological knowledge is a dynamic process and the record of sites is likely to be frequently updated. Any management proposal which affects a known or suspected site should be discussed with English Heritage (for SAMs) and with the appropriate County Archaeology Officer (who is responsible for maintaining the Sites and Monuments Record). The setting of an archaeological site may be just as significant as this may contain the context for its very existence. A report on the condition of the Shire Ditch, the Burial Mounds, British Camp/Herefordshire Beacon and Midsummer Hill of 1994 provides an outline for the management and repair of these monuments. This report has guided the proposed future management schemes outlined in Section B of this plan. The landscape survey undertaken in 1999 - 2000 by English Heritage (formerly under the auspices of the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments of England) will provide a wider understanding of the whole landscape and the results should be used to inform and update relevant prescriptions for management intervention. |
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