Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AI&M) methodology has been developed by English Heritage (now Historic England) for identifying, mapping and recording archaeological sites and landscapes from aerial photographs and other airborne remote sensed data such as lidar. It was previously known as the National Mapping Programme (NMP).
Millions of aerial photographs are held for England by archives such as the Historic England Archive, Cambridge University and local sources such as the Historic Environment Record (HER).
The best way to provide a synthesis of such a large amount of archaeological information is in the form of a map, with accompanying descriptions of all recorded sites and landscapes in the HER.
Several AI&M projects have surveyed areas of Devon and highlight reports can be downloaded from Historic England webpages.
- Blackdown Hills AONB. Also see the Historic England project page, and summaries of the main themes on the Blackdown Hills Aerial Investigation and Mapping Project page.
- East and Mid Devon River Catchments. Also, illustrated summaries of the main themes can be viewed on the East and Mid Devon Rivers Catchments NMP Project page.
- South Devon Coast RCZAS. Also, illustrated summaries of the main themes are also available on the South Devon Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment NMP Project page.
- North Devon Coast AONB. Also, illustrated summaries of the main themes are also available on the North Devon Coast AONB NMP Project page.
- North Devon.
- Dartmoor. Please contact Dartmoor National Park for information regarding this survey.
- Exmoor falls partly within Devon. Please contact Exmoor National Park for information regarding this survey.
The Historic Environment team is currently working with Historic England and AC Archaeology on a project between the South Devon Coast and Dartmoor. The first area, between Haldon Ridge and the Dart Valley, is finished. The second area, between Plymouth and the Avon Valley, is nearing completion.
A new project, in collaboration with the University of Exeter’s Understanding Landscapes project, is about to start. This will focus on interpretation of lidar data to supplement the sites already mapped from aerial photographs, and will incorporate data from the Understanding Landscapes volunteers.
More information on Aerial Investigation and Mapping can be found on Historic England’s webpages.