Historic England Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Historic England

Formation	1 April 2015 (2015-04-01)
Legal status	Non-departmental public body
Headquarters	The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EH
Chairman	Neil Mendoza
Chief Executive	Duncan Wilson
Staff	884

Historic England is a special group in the UK. It's like a guardian for England's old buildings and important historical places. Their main job is to protect these sites for everyone to enjoy now and in the future. They work with the British Government to make sure England's history stays safe.

This group helps protect England's historic environment. They do this by finding and protecting important buildings. They also look after ancient monuments and special historic gardens. Historic England gives advice to the government too.

Historic England used to be called English Heritage. It was started in 1984. In 2015, English Heritage changed. Part of it became Historic England. The other part became the English Heritage Trust. This Trust now looks after many historic sites.

Historic England also has a huge collection of old photos and records. This is called the Historic England Archive. They have worked on cool projects. One project is "Britain from Above." They put 96,000 old aerial photos online. Another project, "Images of England," shows pictures of listed buildings.

What Historic England Does

Historic England's Swindon office, where its Archives are kept.

Historic England's former London office at Holborn Bars.

Historic England is the government's main advisor. They help protect all parts of England's history. This includes old buildings, ancient sites, and even underwater discoveries. They also look at historic landscapes.

They check on England's heritage every year. They publish a report called Heritage at Risk. This report shows which historic places might be in danger. Their goal is to keep England's human-made heritage safe. This is for future generations to enjoy.

Here are some of the things Historic England does:

They look after huge collections of photos and drawings. These records show England's historic places. Some go back to the 1700s!
They give money to groups that help save old buildings. They also help with monuments and landscapes. In one year, they gave over £13 million for heritage projects.
They tell the UK government which historic places are super important. These places then get special protection. This is called "listing" or "scheduling."
They keep a list of all protected places in England. This includes listed buildings and scheduled monuments. It also lists battlefields and World Heritage Sites. You can find this list online as the National Heritage List for England.
They advise local councils. This helps councils manage changes to important historic sites.
They share their knowledge and skills. They offer training to people who work in heritage. This helps improve how we protect old places.
They work with other heritage groups. They help create plans for protecting history.
They do research about archaeology. They publish reports like Heritage Counts. These reports check on the state of England's heritage each year.

Historic England does not approve changes to listed buildings. Local councils and another government department handle that.

Historic England also owns many important historic sites. But they don't run them day-to-day. The English Heritage Trust manages these sites.

How Historic England is Run

The government chooses people to be on the Commission. This group oversees Historic England's work. Since September 2023, Lord Mendoza has been the chairman.

The daily work is managed by an executive team. Duncan Wilson has led this team since 2015.

Historic England facts for kids

What Historic England Does

How Historic England is Run

See also