Berkshire Archaeology

About Berkshire Archaeology

Berkshire Archaeology is an archaeological advice service for Windsor and Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell Forest, Slough and Wokingham. It was established in 2004 as part of Reading Borough Council's Museum service, and offers a range of services to make sure the rich archaeology of our area is recorded, preserved and managed for everyone to enjoy.

Office working and meetings

Our team members work partly from the office and partly remotely. Please email us or leave us a message on 0118 937 5976 if you would like to arrange an online (via MS Teams) or in person meeting

East Berkshire Historic Landscape Characterisation

We are pleased to announce that our Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) project, funded by Historic England and covering all five authorities, has recently been completed. You can download a summary of the project here:

The project report for the East Berkshire HLC will shortly be available for download via the Archaeology Data Service

The full dataset is now incorporated into the Berkshire Historic Environment Record and is available for consultation by contacting the HER Officer on 0118 937 5976

Historic Environment Record

We manage the Berkshire Archaeology Historic Environment Record (known as the HER), a database of archaeological sites and finds in our five boroughs. Ranging from the oldest Stone Age tools and prehistoric settlements, through medieval villages and farms, to World War II remains and modern structures, our records reflect many decades of research and archaeological investigation

Consulting the HER

The Historic Environment Record can be viewed online via the Heritage Gateway

Or please contact the HER Officer on 0118 937 5976 to discuss your requirements

There is a charge for commercial use of HER data, which will be provided under licence to consultants - our charging policy is below:

NB. Historic Environment services for West Berkshire are provided by West Berkshire Council - please see their website for details

Protecting and conserving archaeology

We advise our local authority clients on how the archaeology in their borough can be looked after. Archaeological remains are fragile and particularly at risk of damage from building works; once gone, they are irreplaceable. National and local planning policies require developers to take measures to protect and/or record archaeology surviving on construction sites. Berkshire Archaeology's role is to advise on planning policy and also individual development proposals, to make sure the impact of development on archaeology can be mitigated, and that fieldwork programmes are carried out to the highest standard

Archaeology in 2020

This is our 2020 newsletter, with information on sites and finds from across our area - download it below to find out what has been discovered and all the latest news. You can also see previous newsletters by scrolling to the bottom of this page:

Previous finds

See earlier editions of the Berkshire Archaeology newsletter for other exciting finds