A Historic Characterisation of Weston-Super-Mare and its Land and Sea Environs
Author(s): Diana Manson, Melissa Conway, Katie Stenson, Steven Orr, Karen Averby
A historic characterisation of Weston-super-Mare and its land and sea environs has been developed as part of this Weston-super-Mare Historic Character project, funded by Historic England as part of their Heritage Protection Commissions programme. It has been primarily designed as a resource to support the work of the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). The HAZ programme is a recent initiative in which Historic England works together with local partners in places with a rich and characterful historic environment to use this as a catalyst for building economic growth. Weston-super-Mare is one of the first round of HAZs. The aim of this project was to assess and map patterns of historic character across Weston-super-Mare and its adjacent seascape. Methods used draw upon historic landscape and urban characterisation approaches, as well as the National Historic Seascape Characterisation methodology. Information was collected from a range of sources such as open source Geographic Information System (GIS) data, Historic Environment Record data, aerial imagery, historic maps and charts and field visits. This baseline information has been used to enable the identification and mapping in GIS of areas of shared historic character, known as ‘character types’. The spatial and temporal patterning of these character types has been analysed during the latter stages of the project to produce a high-level assessment of each character type’s evidential, historical, aesthetic and communal values as well as an account of the development of the project area. The project’s key outputs include the GIS data and associated summary texts and report. As well as supporting the work of the Great Weston Heritage Action Zone, the project results will be made publicly accessible by Historic England and by its partners in North Somerset Council.
- Report Number:
- 47/2018
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 60
- Keywords:
- Bronze Age Data Management Early Medieval Iron Age Medieval Methological Research Modern Post Medieval Area Assessment Heritage Action Zone
