English Heritage is involved in rural matters through its role as the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, its involvement in resource protection, its research programmes, and its grant aid schemes.

The majority of the 19,000 archaeological monuments that are currently scheduled are in the countryside. Over 250,000 entries in the statutory list of buildings of 'special architectural or historic interest' are in local authority districts classified as 'rural', as are the majority of parks and gardens entered in the Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Over 77,000 entries in the statutory list are for 'agricultural and subsistence' buildings.  These rural districts include over 720 Grade I and II* listed building and structural scheduled ancient monuments in the English Heritage Register of Heritage at Risk. English Heritage also maintains a second register of historic landscapes, the "Register of Historic Battlefields", which seeks to protect and conserve 43 of England most significant battlefields.

 Our corporate programmes of research and development extend to both urban and rural issues. These include archaeological investigation and survey and programmes of characterisation of the landscape, rural settlements and traditional farm buildings. Current projects include 'Scheduled Monuments at Risk' initiative, our Wetlands Strategy and updating the evidence from our 2005 Historic Farm Buildings Audit and Evaluation Project. 

English Heritage grant-aid is directed to the conservation of both rural and urban buildings, sites and landscapes at need, to research and development projects - including archaeological investigation and survey - and to the support of local authority advisory posts. We are currently part-funding a number of Historic Environment Countryside Adviser posts in partnership with local authorities in across the country.

Liaison with DEFRA and other Agencies

Yarnbury Hillfort, Wiltshire English Heritage liases closely with the Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA) and with other countryside and environmental agencies, most notably Natural England, the Environment Agency, and the Forestry Commission.

English Heritage sits on the England Forestry Forum and is involved in the regional Rural Affairs Forums.  We are also a member of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) Consultation Group, and sit on the ERDP National Strategy Group.  For more information about our involvement with the ERDP, please visit www.helm.org.uk

English Heritage works closely with Natural England on a wide variety of issues. The two organisations have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to faciliate multiple environmental objectives and outcomes. 

We also work closely with colleagues at The Environment Agency and are currently discussing work joint work on the archaeological impact of brown-field land remediation and on peat wastage in the Somerset Levels.