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Help and Frequently Asked Questions

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I'M HAVING PROBLEMS USING THE WEBSITE

If you would like to report an error in how the website works or have any other feedback, please email us at heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk.

I CAN'T FIND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

If you can't find what you're looking for, please try the tips below to help find sites or buildings on the Heritage Gateway. If you are still having trouble finding what you are looking for, please contact heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk.


TIPS FOR SEARCHING


HOME PAGE SEARCH TIPS

This search allows you to carry out a quick search if you know a building name or location.

  • Enter a building name OR a place name in this field (the search doesn’t allow you to use both; to search on a combination of criteria, please use the More Detailed Search).
  • Do not use abbreviations e.g. Herts or Bucks.
  • If what you're looking for consists of a number and street name but you cannot find it, try the search using just the street name. Often buildings are listed as groups e.g. 11-15 High Street, which means that no results will be returned if you are searching for number 13 High Street.
  • Heritage assets may be recorded under a different name, try alternative names if you cannot find what you’re looking for. For example, St Mary’s Church may be recorded as Church of St Mary’s.
  • Postcode searching is not possible using the Homepage Search, but can be carried out using the More Detailed Search.
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MORE DETAILED SEARCH TIPS

Use this search to carry out a more detailed search by either selecting or combining specific terms. If you are having difficulty finding what you are looking for or would like advice on how to use the search, please contact heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk with details of your enquiry.

Where

Find a location (using the map)

Enter a postcode, grid reference or address details (place name or street name) into the Find on Map box (above the map) and click

The map will zoom to the location or, if more than one location matches your search, you will be presented with options below the search box to select from. Please do not enter place/street name with a postcode as the search will not work.

The search area shown will default to search within 1km of the selected point. You can alter this by clicking on the drop down list and selecting from the options available.

Once you have selected the search area, click the Search button in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

You can also navigate around the map using the button in the tool bar. Once you have clicked this button you can click and hold the left-hand mouse to move the map around or double click to zoom in. You can also use the slider on the left-hand side of the map to zoom in or out of the map.


Search by Grid Reference

You can enter a grid reference into the Find on Map search box or Click to Search by Grid Reference below the map to find alternative options. These can be used in conjunction with the Search Within drop down list to select your search area.


Search by Admin Location
  • The Location text box uses the 2010 Ordnance Survey Boundary Line Data.
  • Start typing a place name you are looking for in the Administrative Location box and select from the list of matching place names which appears.
  • The default setting for the text box is ‘contains’ which means that the search will return all administrative locations that contain what you have typed. This is the advised setting, although at time it can return lots of results.
  • If you prefer, select a different option to enable you to return only the results that start with what you’ve typed, end with what you’ve typed or only exact matches.
  • If the place name does not appear in the list, this is because it is not a recognised administrative location boundary in the 2010 Ordnance Survey Boundary Line Data and you should leave this field blank. Try the Place/Site/Street name search or the map search to find what you are looking for.
  • Place/Site/Street Name is a free text box which searches on parish, locality or street names. The free text box is not case sensitive.
  • If you are having trouble using this search, try the map search or email heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk with details of your enquiry.
What

Use this search to refine your search by Monument Types (e.g. pill box) or Listed Building grade.

Monument Type
  • This field is populated with the broad, thematic terms, or Classes, from the FISH Thesaurus of Monument Types.
  • Each Class contains a number of more specific, or narrow, terms which can be viewed by selecting the + icon accompanying each Class term. Many of these narrow terms will have their own narrow terms, and will therefore also be accompanied by a + icon. By expanding the thesaurus and exploring its terms in this way, you can find the most specific term on which to base a search.
  • To select thesaurus terms, populate the selection box beside the term with a mouse-click. Multiple terms can be selected for a single search. Selecting terms in this manner will also include any thesaurus terms related to those selected (for example, CHURCH has a number of related terms, including BELL TOWER) in the search.
  • Alternatively, you can type a term into the free text box. Any thesaurus terms that match or contain it will appear in a drop-down list, from which you can select the term you wish to use with a mouse-click. Searching in this way will automatically include any narrow terms associated with that selected, but will not include related terms.
  • Please contact heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk if you are unable to carry out a search as we may be able to assist.
Grade
  • This search is only applicable for Listed Buildings.
  • To refine your search by a particular grade, select it from the drop-down box.
When

Use this search to narrow your results by time period or by when records were designated (National Heritage List for England records only). This search does not include Designation Decision data (not designated and de-designated records).

Period
  • Broad periods can be selected from the drop-down list.
  • Multiple periods cannot be selected from the drop-down list. Use the Date Range search to manually enter a date range that covers two or more consecutive periods.
Year Range
  • You can enter any date range in the date boxes.
  • Use this search to query date ranges different to those in the Period searching e.g. to search across two consecutive periods.
Date of Designation (NHLE records only)
  • Use this search to find records on the National Heritage List for England that were designated or amended in a particular month or year.
  • Select the month from the drop down list and enter a year in the Year box.
  • Select All Months and enter a year to search for records designated in a particular year.
  • If you require a more detailed Date of Designation search try the Designation Date search on the National Heritage List for England or email heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk with details of your enquiry.
Who

Use this search to find records based on their association with a particular person or architect.

Search by Person or Architect
  • The free text box is not case sensitive.
  • Please enter a surname in the free text box, the search does not recognise first names or initials.
Resources

Use this section to narrow your search to specific resources (e.g. just the National Heritage List for England or a specific historic Environment Record) or to search by a reference number (NHLE and Images of England records only).

Resources
  • Select the resource you wish to search for by clicking in the box to the left of the resource name.
  • You can select more than one resource or select a group of resources such as Non-Statutory National Data by selecting the box to the left of the group heading
Reference Number

If you have a reference number (new or old) for a record, you can use this search to find it. This search cannot be used in conjunction with the other sections of the detailed search. The reference number search can only be used to search the National Heritage List for England, Designation Decision records and Images of England records.

  • Select the resource from the drop down list and enter the reference number in the Reference Number box.

HOW DO I SEARCH FOR DESIGNATION DECISION RECORDS?

Designation decision records can only be searched using the Heritage Gateway. There are two main ways to do this

  • The home page search automatically searches decision records at the same time as other data, with the results being clearly indicated as a separate group. See the Home Page Search section for tips on using this.
  • You can search using the map. The results can be viewed as a list or on the map. Please see How do I use the map tools? below for help on how to view only these records on the map.
  • You can also search using the Resources option if you know the reference number. See the Resources section below if you want to know more about this.
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RESULTS

Results will be displayed for any resources that match your search criteria. There may be occasions where results will not be displayed for all resources due to the search criteria you have selected.

Some common questions about the results are addressed below. If you are having problems finding information on the Heritage Gateway, please email heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk with details of your enquiry.


SUMMARY RESULTS
  • The results I was expecting aren’t displayed in the list

    The summary results screen displays the results of your search and the resource provider this has come from. If a resource is not displayed, there are either no results for this provider or the resource is not available on the Heritage Gateway at the moment.

    We are working to make more records available on the Heritage Gateway. For more information about what is available on the Heritage Gateway, visit the About the Heritage Gateway page.

  • The results are grouped by type under the following headings:
    • Statutory data – designated assets on the National Heritage List for England
    • Designation decision data – non-designated and de-designated records from November 2012
    • Non-statutory National Data – records across all of England but not covered by statutory protection such as listing or scheduling like the National Heritage List.
    • Local Records – information from Historic Environment Records and Local Planning Authorities.
    • National Image Collections – images from Historic England online collections.

  • All resources can be searched using the map. Some resources have also made their data available to view in the map results. These are indicated by a mapped resource symbol to the right of the resource name.
  • To find out more about individual resources, click on the resource information to the right of the resource name in the results list.
  • Some resources also have separate websites; these are indicated by a resource website symbol. Clicking the link takes you to the resource provider’s website.

I’M HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING RESULTS ON THE MAP
  • Are all records available on the map?

    Unfortunately not all resource providers have made their data available on the map results page. Resources that are available on the map are identified on the results screen by a mapped resource symbol in the results list. We are working to make as many available as possible so please come back to the website soon or contact the individual resource provider if you have further questions.

  • The map doesn’t display properly on my screen

    For optimum map display, please use Firefox or Google Chrome browsers. Unfortunately there are some known problems with all versions of Internet Explorer and whilst we are working to optimise performance on these browsers, it is likely that you will experience some problems viewing the map.

  • How do I use the map tools?

    Use the pan/zoom tools or the slider on the left hand side of the map to zoom in or out. Once you’ve selected the pan/zoom tool map pan you can double click to zoom in or move the mouse whilst holding the left hand mouse button to move around the map.

    Select the Identify button identify button and click on points or shapes on the map to find out more about each record.

    Clicking on the ‘Map Contents’ button in the top right corner of the map brings up a list of all the record types that are displayed on the map. You can choose to keep them all visible or retain only those you wish to see by clicking in the tick boxes on the left to deselect the others.

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GENERAL QUESTIONS


WHAT ARE DESIGNATION DECISION RECORDS AND HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT TO RECORDS ON THE NHLE?

Designation Decision records cannot be viewed via the National Heritage List for England (NHLE). These records contain information that explains why a site has been rejected for designation or de-designated because it does not meet the necessary criteria.

NHLE records show information that explains why a site has been accepted for listing or scheduling because it has met the necessary criteria.

To find out what criteria is used, please click here


I’D LIKE TO REPORT AN ERROR ON A RECORD

If you have spotted an error in a record on the Heritage Gateway, please report this to the resource provider. Individual records will state the resource provider e.g. the local authority or contact details.

If you would like to report an error on the National Heritage List for England, please take a look at the amending an entry on the Heritage List page on the Historic England website.

If you would like to report an error on a Designation Decision record, please contact us using the information below.


I’M PLANNING ON MAKING CHANGES TO MY PROPERTY

Please note that you must consult the local planning authority if you are planning to make changes to a designated asset or identify if it is subject to any other protection such as within a Conservation Area. For more information on Planning and Designated Assets, visit our Planning Advice page.

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CONTACT US

If you have any questions or comments about the Heritage Gateway, please do not hesitate to email us at heritagegateway@HistoricEngland.org.uk and we will be happy to assist.

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