Skip to main content

The Dudley Historic Environment Record (HER) is Dudley’s source of information about the area’s rich history. From the archaeological finds discovered beneath Dudley’s marketplace to the story of the town’s drinking fountain, you can trace their history and much more here. The Dudley HER is one of over 85 located in England. It is a continuously expanding resource providing a record of all known heritage assets within Dudley.

Dudley's Historic Environment Record (the 'HER') is a computerised database of all known heritage assets in Dudley and contains several thousand records that are constantly being expanded with new information.

Using a GIS-based platform called the Historic Buildings, Sites and Monuments Record (HBSMR), multiple sources of data about various aspects of the historic environment are brought together. The HBSMR indexes available ‘sources’ (documents, books, articles, etc) held by the HER and by other organisations, and it holds extensive supporting collections of photographs, survey reports and plans and a growing library of unpublished ‘grey literature’ reports mainly generated by the planning process.

The HER is a valuable and comprehensive resource, used extensively by a wide range of people including officers from many different parts of the Council, planning consultants, academic researchers, developers, schools and members of the public:

  • for interpretive and educational purposes
  • to supply general and detailed information about the Borough’s heritage
  • to supply data in response to both site-specific and area-based queries
  • to formulate talks, displays and publications and so make the Borough’s history accessible to residents and visitors alike
  • as the starting point for the giving of planning advice in respect of development proposals affecting any aspect of the historic environment. If any part of a development proposal is of historic interest developers should always consult the HER before formulating detailed proposals. Reference to the archaeological flowchart for potential development sites will help guide the sequence for determining archaeological significance.

You can use the HER to search for the following types of information:

  • By geographical area (a particular building, street or town)
  • By subject area (industrial activity, war memorials)
  • By historic period (Medieval, Modern)
  • By asset type (Buildings, find spots, people)

For applicants who are required to provide in support of their planning application and/or Listed Building Consent a Statement of Heritage Significance they will be required to demonstrate that they have consulted the Council’s Historic Environment Record (HER).

Furthermore they will be required to include reference to the Historic Environment SPD, they are also advised to make reference to the Historic England Advice Note 12: Statements of Heritage Significance (Oct 2019).

Commercial projects undertaken as part of the development management process should not rely solely on the information available via Heritage Gateway. Further information should be sought directly from Historic Environment staff at Dudley Council who can undertake a more detailed search. Commercial projects will be required to include within any reports issued to the local planning authority the relevant HER enquiry reference number.