Posts tagged #somerset

AH Tour of Britain #2

It’s almost the weekend, and this morning at Armour Heritage we’ve been cataloguing some of the digital images we’ve taken from recent sites, and getting nostalgic about the projects we’ve been involved in over the last 12 months. 


Our whizzy new Lightbox software from Adobe allows us to map the areas we’ve worked in around the UK, through use of the photographs’ geo-tagging, and shows a concentration in Greater London and Cornwall, both areas where setting of historic assets, impacts of conversions or new build in Conservation Areas, and World Heritage Site issues are regularly contentious topics. Not surprisingly, the map also shows we’ve been busy closer to our main office in Somerset, and local areas of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire where we regularly complete watching briefs, evaluations and archaeological mitigation. It's worth noting that the numbers on the screen-dump refer to the numbers of photographs from the wider area rather than the number of projects undertaken. Penwith, for example, in West Cornwall, shows 101 photographs - these refer to around 15 recent sites.

UK map showing a broad distribution of AH sites


Through the many projects we’ve been involved in, we’re in no doubt a bespoke, tailored heritage statement can help to identify and mitigate the impacts of any development proposal on heritage assets, thus providing a cost-effective approach to independently assessing the significance of assets in and around a site. Moreover, our desk based assessments can offer suggestions and solutions with regard to the potential affects the development may have on the historic environment, and ultimately may contribute toward that all-important resolution between the planners and our valued clients.

 

Friday, Work Streams and the CIfA

Well, it’s Friday and the sun is shining and things are going well here at Armour Heritage – we may even allow ourselves an early weekend after lunch…

Our heritage consultancy work in the renewables and green energy sector continues to grow, with a recent notable increase in enquiries and projects related to new housing and Listed Building consents, trends which we hope will continue into the future.

Away from our project work and lead by AH Director Sue Farr, is our drive toward Registered Organisation status with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. Whilst initially the paperwork seemed a little daunting, Sue has embraced it and our application is well on track. We feel that RO status is important, both as a ‘kite mark’ of quality within the heritage industry, and its focusing of our skills in potentially new directions, such as graduate training or community based schemes.

Time, as always, is against us of course, with deadlines constantly rearing their heads and deflecting us from tasks such as the CIfA RO forms. But, with a fair wind and brute determination, I hope we will be able to submit by the end of next month.