Volunteering with the Greater London Historic Environment Record

What is the Greater London Historic Environment Record currently working on?

We are working on a number of projects, some of which our volunteers are carrying out for us. Current projects include:

• Data transfer from the National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) to the GLHER, as part of the national NHRE to HER project
• Enhancing our parks and gardens records
• Greenwich Park
• Revising our Archaeological Priority Areas

Working together to cultivate London's green legacy

Natural and historic environments are inseparable. Human activity over time has helped to create and sustain key habitats. Using the historic environment to inform nature recovery measures will result in more effective responses to the climate and nature emergencies while helping to conserve our cultural heritage. Historic England provides technical advice and guidance on nature recovery and heritage.

The Greater London Historic Environment Record (GLHER) holds information that help identify places where carefully designed nature recovery and green infrastructure projects benefit local communities by recognising and enhancing their heritage. To do this, the Forestry Commission supported us to enhance the Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE).

The SHINE dataset is a special collection of information concerning historic sites and places in England that helps landowners and agencies involved in land management to identify and positively manage heritage assets on their land. London’s SHINE sites can be viewed on the HEFER consultation portal Home - Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) Portal and is updated as new information becomes available or local circumstances change. We are currently working to make the data set publicly available on the online GLHER.

The SHINE dataset was originally created by Natural England and associated partners in 2008 to support agri-environment schemes but has now been enhanced to enable it to help woodland creation and other forestry schemes. More than half of the Greater London area is open (i.e. undeveloped) land and much of that is designated greenbelt or metropolitan open land. Green spaces, trees and woodlands make London a healthier, more attractive place to live, and help to combat climate change and air pollution. London's urban forest has an estimated 8.4 million trees and covers around a fifth of the city's land area - it is increasingly recognised for its environmental, social and economic value (Mayor’s Trees and Woodlands Strategy).

SHINE can also inform the priorities and measures set out by the Greater London Authority in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for London. The LNRS is a new system of spatial biodiversity strategies in England, required by law under the Environment Act 2021. The expertise of the staff at GLHER means that as well as ensuring heritage assets are protected, opportunities where nature restoration measures might enhance or restore historic landscape character can be identified. By combining heritage conservation with sustainable land management practices, we can help to preserve London's natural and cultural heritage while fostering a greener and more resilient urban environment. Linking heritage preservation, environmental stewardship, and community well-being will help to make London a more liveable and sustainable city for future generations.

Some natural environment initiatives will have little or no implications for the historic environment, but others can present opportunities or pose threats if designed without consideration of heritage. When planning a natural environment project, please check the online historic environment record for local sensitivity and consider the scale of the works involved to determine if consultation with the GLHER or other heritage advisers is necessary. Consultation is recommended for:

• Any project requiring scheduled monument or listed building consent
• Projects requiring planning permission that affect a site of 0.5 hectares or more or are in an Archaeological Priority Area and meet GLAAS planning consultation criteria
• Countryside Stewardship applications
• Large-scale rewilding, landscape recovery or restoration schemes
• Projects involving substantive changes in land management, tree-planting or other groundworks on a SHINE site, registered historic parkland or battlefield
• New woodland creation or other groundworks (e.g. new ponds and scrapes) extending over more than 0.5 hectares

To consult the GLHER, please send details of the location and nature of the project to: e-glaas2@historicengland.org.uk.

To date, the GLHER has provided multiple opportunities for members of the public, students, and members of local groups to volunteer with the Historic Environment Record team. Our volunteers join the GLHER team for various reasons including career progression, learning more about London’s heritage, sharing expertise, or general health and wellbeing.

Volunteering with the Greater London Historic Environment Record

We have a number of opportunities for members of the public, or students to volunteer with the Historic Environment Record team. We provide full training and support so you don't need any previous experience, and you will play a critical role in helping to conserve London's historic environment.

Greater London Historic Environment Record volunteers

We often have opportunities for enthusiastic volunteers to help develop the Greater London Historic Environment. The Greater London Historic Environment Record (GLHER) is a key resource for understanding London's heritage, and our volunteers play a critical role in developing this resource. Current projects include:

• historic parks and gardens,
• people, place, and the historic environment
• heritage stories.

Opportunities to work with the GLHER will vary depending on the current priorities of the GLHER, but where possible will be tailored to your interests and availability. Such opportunities may involve:

• assisting in the development and enhancement of the Historic Environment Record, or
• documentary research into sites, places, people, periods or themes.

We can provide limited travel expenses for travel within London. Our new GLHER is available online so there may also be opportunities to carry out volunteer work from home.

See ‘What is the HER currently working on' for more information about these projects.

Do you take student placements?

We do take a small number of student placements each year, usually during the summer and we ask that you do commit to at least two weeks work with us due to the training we will give you. Hybrid-working placements can be arranged depending on the project. Undertaking a placement with the GLHER you can:

• use your existing skills and experience,
• developing new skills: use of our HER database, and Geographical Information System (GIS),
• experience working with a historic environment record, and a heritage planning team, and
• help develop your career.

The number of volunteers/placements we can take is limited, so please see the Historic England Volunteer page for our current availability.

You can also email GLHER@HistoricEngland.org.uk to discuss project ideas and upcoming opportunities.