Birmingham Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC)

The main project phase of the historic landscape characterisation of Birmingham was carried out between November 2011 and December 2014, when the HLC database of records and character areas was completed and the final project report written. The Birmingham HLC maps, describes and dates the past and present uses of every piece of land within today's city area, as far back in time as the available, predominantly cartographic, sources allowed (back to at least 1540). In fact, a useful 'by-product' of this project was the creation of a database containing almost all the relevant historic maps and aerial photos of the Birmingham area; many of them are now viewable on one of the HLC mapping webpages. The completion of the HLC database was followed during 2015 by a number of additional activities: Customised HLC data was supplied to a Historic England national research project; HLC webpages were created both on the Council's main site and on its local mapping site; The 'Mapping Birmingham's Historic Landscape' brochure was written and published; An awareness raising launch event was held in September 2015.