Further to yesterday's discussion about recent work on WWII airfields, list
members may be interested to know that English Heritage's Data Management
Unit (housed at the National Monuments Record Centre in Swindon) are
currently undertaking an enhancement of our AMIE Database records for WWII
airfields. This complements rather than duplicates the work done by English
Heritage Listing Programme which has been mentioned by some list
contributors, and includes many records of sites which are not designated or
protected as well as those that are. It builds on the great existing work
done by archaeological, architectural and air survey teams. This enhancement
is presently still in progress (with over 160 sites already on the database)
but it is intended that each airfield should have a record covering the
development of each airfield with reference to its function and to the units
which served there where possible. In addition the more important buildings
or structures at the airfield will be noted, either on the main record, or
if the level of known detail justifies it, as separate records linked to the
main airfield record. There will be links to bibliographical sources,
archive material from the NMRC and event records. There will also be
depictions of the maximum extent of the airfields and of some of the
airfield buildings in the Heritage Spatial Information System (HSIS) where
possible. The Data Management Unit is also working together with its partner
the Data Standards Unit to improve the Monument Thesaurus for airfield
themes.
To return to the specific question about recent surveys, list contributors
were correct to mention the Thematic Listing Programme report: its full
title is: English Heritage Thematic Listing Programme May 2003 "Survey of
Military Aviation Sites and Structures, Summary Report". Also of interest
are surveys of individual airfields such as the former RAF Perranporth in
Cornwall (in this case undertaken by English Heritage's Exeter based
Archaeological Investigation Team). A number of WWII airfields were covered
in an EH survey of Cold War sites. Other than EH surveys, examples of fairly
recent work are by Cornwall Archaeological Unit at Davidstow Moor, and by
"Quinetic" at Boscombe Down and Clffye Pypard, Wiltshire.
Regards
Robin Page
Projects Officer
Data Management Unit
English Heritage
NMRC Swindon
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