About Suffolk HER

Suffolk HER

The Suffolk Historic Environment Record (formerly the SMR) contains information about all the recorded archaeological sites, finds and historic landscape features in the county. Suffolk is rich in archaeological material of all periods, including some of the earliest Palaeolithic sites in Northern Europe, very important Anglo-Saxon settlements and cemeteries and a largely rural landscape reflecting a dispersed medieval settlement pattern with numerous surviving moated farms and greens. Although much of the landscape has been affected by intensive arable agriculture, resulting in many artefact finds, numerous sites of national or international importance survive.
The main inventory, of over 25,000 records, is held in a database and on digital maps. Various types of supplementary information, such as plans and photographs and archaeological reports are held as background information and can be consulted by appointment at our Bury St Edmunds office. As well as mapping archaeological sites, the HER includes the details of listed buildings and mapping of the historic landscape characterisation (HLC) for Suffolk.