Archaeology

The St Albans District has a wealth of below ground heritage and archaeology, ranging from internationally significant sites to ones of more local interest. There are three types of protected archaeology within the St Albans District: Scheduled Monuments, Archaeological Sites for Local Preservation, and Archaeological Sites subject to Recording conditions.

Planning Applications

Additionally, the District has both identified and unknown areas, sites and structures with archaeological interest that have not been designated. If you are planning works in a site that includes or has the potential to include heritage assets, any planning applications will need to include a Heritage Statement with Impact Assessment.

You can find out if you live in an area of archaeological interest through the Council's District Mapping Service, or your My St Albans account. However, not all known sites are included on the map, or are currently known about.

More information is available from the District Archaeologist at planning@stalbans.gov.uk and the Council's Archaeology Strategy.

Scheduled Monuments

A Scheduled Monument is a protected archaeological site, historic building or structure of national importance. For more detailed information on scheduled Monuments, please see Historic England’s Website.

The list of scheduled sites is maintained by the Secretary of State for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports on recommendations from Historic England. If you wish to carry out works, both above and below ground, to an area designated as a Scheduled Monument, you will need to apply for prior written permission from the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This is known as Scheduled Monument Consent.

Works which require consent include demolishing, destroying, damaging, removing, repairing, altering, adding to, flooding or tipping material onto the monument. It is a criminal offence to damage a scheduled site without Consent.

Applications for Scheduled Monument Consent are done through Historic England.