A scheduled monument is a site, building or area of historic importance that is listed in the Schedule of Monuments kept by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The government agency Historic England is responsible for maintaining UK schedulings, and offers guidance on how and why monuments are scheduled, and how the process works, as well as what this means.
Search the National Heritage List
You can also do a map search to locate sites of interest. Use the View tool to choose outline map, Ordnance Survey or satellite views. Use the Filter tool to select the type of features you would like to view.
Development and scheduled monuments
Scheduled monuments have special legal protections. If you are proposing a development which will have an impact on a scheduled monument, you will need to apply to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to gain scheduled monument consent (SMC). It is a criminal offence to damage a scheduled monument by carrying out unauthorised works, including development, engineering works, utilities works and highways works.
You may also require planning permission, which you can apply for via the Planning Portal.
Additional legal protections
It is a criminal offence, punishable by heavy fines, and potentially a prison sentence, to do any of the following at or around a scheduled monument:
- Cause damage to the monument, deliberately or through recklessness
- Use metal detecting equipment
- Remove objects found by detection equipment, without a licence from Historic England