Archaeology

The area now known as Charnwood has a long history. People have lived here for thousands of years, ever since the arrival of early humans during the Palaeolithic Age.

Some of the evidence of human settlement in more recent centuries is visible in the monuments, earthworks and buildings, sometimes within buildings in ancient timbers for instance. Much more is buried underground or can be detected from aerial photographs.

Leicestershire County Council keep an excellent collection called the Historic Environment Record (HER). It contains approximately 15,000 ‘monument’ records, known archaeological sites, and 9,500 separate finds made on these sites.

Information about the HER

Much of the data in the HER is accessible via the Heritage Gateway, a national resource, but the County Council still keep many paper records.