Unlocking Buckinghamshire's Past

Unlocking Buckinghamshire's Past is a user-friendly version of the county Historic Environment Record which includes database searches, mapping, specially written education packs for schools and local communities, information on sites with public access, a timeline, special features, interactive 'games' and much more. Information in the online HER is not licensed for commercial re-use and excludes sensitive or copyright-restricted material.

Education

The education packs were designed for primary and secondary school children, linked to the National Curriculum at Key Stages 2 and 3 and include:

• Changes in the landscape (looks at how the landscape of Buckinghamshire has changed from prehistory to the agricultural and industrial revolutions)
• Differences between rich and poor (explores how the rich and the poor lived in the Tudor and Victorian periods)
• Archaeology in local history studies (has a case study of Waddesdon)
• Buckinghamshire in the wars
• Putting Buckinghamshire in context (explores diversity issues)
• Archaeological skills and concepts 

Local communities

We have packages for general interest users and local community groups:

• How to get involved in archaeology
• Where to find historical and archaeological information

Visitors

We have detailed visitor guides with themed information on 10 sites, Aylesbury, Brill, High Wycombe, Ivinghoe Beacon, Jordans, the Kimbles, Park Wood in Bradenham, Quarrendon, Taplow, and Thornborough.

The database may not always be available as it is often updated with new information.  If you experience  problems please try again later or try using the version of the database available on English Heritage's Heritage Gateway.

The database was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with additional funding from Buckinghamshire County Council, Chilterns Conservation Board (Chilterns AONB), Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society, and the South Midlands Group of the Council for British Archaeology.  The content was developed by the county council in partnership with the district councils, local groups and societies and local schools.

We have also developed outreach activities including talks that you can book.