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What Is Heritage Crime?

Heritage crime can be any act that causes harm to an asset or its surroundings.

For example, damaging or undertaking unauthorised alterations, such as building upon or digging up, heritage assets are considered a heritage crime. Even things that might seem innocent like metal detecting without authorisation, making ruts in the soil of an asset using a bike, or putting in fencing without permission can be considered a heritage crime.

Other crimes that are not necessarily specified as a heritage crime can also affect sites and historic landscapes. This could be graffiti, fly-tipping, theft, criminal damage, or arson.

Scheduled assets are legally protected against crimes, which means anyone who causes damage to any assets could have enforcement taken against them and ultimately be prosecuted. In such cases The Local Authority, Historic England and the Police work together to establish the facts and take any required action.

Protected heritage assets that we have in Nottinghamshire include:

• Scheduled Archaeological Monuments - such as Margidunum Roman Station or Rufford Abbey
• Listed Buildings – such as Papplewick Pumping Station or Lutterell Hall
• Registered Battlefields – such as the Battlefield at East Stoke
• Conservation Areas – such as Southwell or Cropwell Bishop
• Registered Parks and Gardens – such as Thoresby Park or Clumber Park

Other protected heritage assets, that aren’t present in Nottinghamshire, are World Heritage Sites, protected marine wrecks, and protected military remains of aircraft and vessels of historic interest.

You can check whether an asset is scheduled or listed by searching the Historic England database. Historic England maintains and updates all records of designated assets. Search the National Heritage List here.

You can also check the protected heritage assets specifically in Nottinghamshire via the ‘designations’ section of our search page.

Above: Graffiti at King's Mill Viaduct, Mansfield

Why Does It Matter?

Heritage crimes not only threaten our valuable local assets, but they threaten to destroy both local and national understanding (current and future) as well as public enjoyment.

Alongside large areas like conservation areas and designated parks and gardens, there are a range of smaller assets can be listed or scheduled, such as bridges, war memorials, phone boxes, even garden urns. Heritage assets are all around us and some people may not realise how special the things around them are.

 A large number of our heritage assets in Nottinghamshire are in remote areas or lack the protection of physical security features, so we rely on everyone keeping an eye out and reporting any issues or signs of damage/alterations.

A study conducted by Newcastle University, Loughborough University and the Council for British Archaeology in 2011 suggested that over 70,000 listed buildings (18.7% of all listed buildings at the time) had been affected by crime in a single year. Within that, nearly half of those buildings (30,000) had been majorly affected by the crime committed.

The study also suggested that antisocial behaviour is one of the most common threats to our historical sites. In a year, 12.3% of all heritage assets were affected by antisocial behaviour.

You can read the full 2011 study here: Heritage Crime: the size of the problem

To learn more about heritage crime, how large scale the issue is, and why it matters, visit the Historic England website here.

Above: General Baptist Chapel, Kirkby Woodhouse, with no roof due to a fire/vandalism.

What To Do If You Spot A Heritage Crime?

If a crime is in progress, a suspect is nearby, violence has been threatened or is occurring, or there is danger to life – treat this an emergency and call the police through 999.

If you witness a heritage crime that is not an emergency and not currently occurring, or suspect one has been committed, report it to the police through 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers through 0800 555 111.

There is currently a team of six police officers equipped with specialist skills to deal with heritage crime courtesy of training by Historic England. ‘Those interested in getting in touch with an officer can contact the heritage crime team via email at heritagecrime@notts.police.uk’. You can read more about the new heritage crime police team here.

If it is not an emergency and you are unsure or would like some guidance on reporting a heritage crime, you can contact our NCC heritage team who will be able to help you via our email at heritage@nottscc.gov.uk

There are so many historical events happening in Nottinghamshire this May, it's hard to keep count! There's something for everyone from prehistoric talks to medieval festivals to finds days. Here's just a few of them below:

Saturday 2nd May: Head to the National Civil War Centre, Newark, for ‘Country Beats and Dancing Feet’. ‘Country Beats and Dancing Feet offers an engaging look at how people danced, socialised and celebrated in Stuart England. Focusing on the popular country dances enjoyed in market squares and village greens, this event explores the role of music and movement in everyday life during the 17th century. The session is inspired by John Playford’s 1651 publication The English Dancing Master, the first known country dance manual, which recorded dances complete with music and instructions and remained popular for more than 100 years’. ‘Led by Lynne and Mike Spicer, the event combines historical insight with live participation’. Tickets cost up to £5 per person and booking is required. This session is for adults, however there is a family event during the day with live music and dancing. Book the adult session here and for more information on the family day, click here.

Sunday 3rd May: ‘A team from the Framework Knitters Museum will be based in Lambley Village Hall celebrating the lost springtime tradition of Cowslip Sunday’. This event includes machine demonstrations, live music, historical displays, and much more. Booking is not required and this event is free. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 4th May: Head to ‘the Framework Knitters Museum on Bank Holiday Monday 4th May for a host of free events to celebrate May Day’. This event includes puppetry, craft demos, storytelling, musical performances, and much more. Booking is not required and this event is free. For more information, visit the event page here.

Thursday 7th May: ‘Local historian, educationalist and author Adrian Gray will be visiting the Bassetlaw Museum to talk about the Dangerous Women of Nottinghamshire. His lively presentation will look at some of the women of Nottinghamshire who have has a significant impact in challenging the man’s world that they were forced to live in. The selection includes a mix of social and spiritual revolutionaries who had an impact way beyond the county boundary’. Tickets cost up to £3 per person. Book your place here.

Saturday 9th May: ‘Have you discovered a mysterious object while metal detecting, gardening, dog walking, or exploring the outdoors? Curious about its story? Bring your find to Mansfield Museum and get it identified by an expert. Join Meghan, Finds Liaison Officer for Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire, who will be on hand to examine objects and help uncover their historical significance’. This event is free, but booking is required. Book your place here.

Monday 11th May: Creswell Crags have organised the online talk ‘The Arid Ape: how arid environments made us human’. In this talk, Professor Amelia Villaseñor (University of Arkansas) will examine how our ancestors, called hominins, carved a new piece of the African landscape for themselves. Unlike our close-ape relatives, early hominins learned to survive in regions that are drier, but not necessarily hotter than current chimpanzee habitats. These arid regions may be a key to understanding our origins’. This event is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 12th May: Head to Mansfield Museum to explore the buildings designed by architect Watson Fothergill. ‘Flamboyant Victorian Architect Watson Fothergill was born in 1841 in Mansfield and some of his earliest buildings were in the town, including houses, shops and the Cattle Market. Join Lucy Brouwer (the creator of the popular Nottingham guided tour: Watson Fothergill Walk) in this illustrated talk. The talk will look at the surviving buildings in Mansfield, and those that have been demolished’. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Watson Fothergill's Woodborough Road Baptist Church (By Darren Turner - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saturday 16th May: ‘Hands On Heritage Day returns to Mansfield Central Library this May, bringing a variety of fun and free activities for all the family! Come along and explore pop-up museums and local history displays, find out about family history, browse the books for sale, and get hands-on with fun crafts and activities’. This event is free and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th May: Head to Thoresby Park ‘for the weekend to celebrate, remember and reminisce the 1940s’ with their weekend event: ‘1940s Spirit of Wartime Sherwood’. There will be dance lessons and ration book cooking demonstrations and the battle for stone bridge. The weekend event will also include live music, ‘vintage traders village, food & drink, war-time vehicles, living history camps, military museum, courtyard shops’. This event is free and booking is not required. However there is a car park fee of £5 (cash only) and there is a camping option available at £50+booking fee. You can also come along for certain live music and dancing events which require booking (click here). For more information, visit the event page here.

Wednesday 20th May: Head to Beeston Library for the ‘Heritage Talk: Marriage Disasters of the Sherwood Nobility’. ‘Focusing mainly on the period after 1800, local historian Adrian Gray will look at some of the disastrous marriages made by lords, dukes and earls who formed the elite of Dukeries society’. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 23rd – Monday 25th May: ‘The Gathering of the North’ returns to Sherwood Forest for 2026. ‘Step back into the medieval world by joining the Gathering of the North and experiencing medieval Britain in the home of Robin Hood’. There will be medieval traders, fighting displays, performers, interactive workshops, lots of activities like axe throwing and archery and much more! Booking is not required but there is a parking fee of up to £15 per car. For more information, visit the event page here.

Sunday 24th – Monday 25th May: The Artisan Fair & Steam event is now in its 4th year at Papplewick Pumping Station. The event includes live music, interactive crafts, traders, machine demonstrations and much more. Tickets cost up to £14.50 (on the door is more expensive than booking online) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 26th May: At the Workhouse and Infirmary, Southwell, ‘come and meet some of the team from the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington’ during their Framework Knitters Takeover. ‘Have a go on a Victorian circular knitting machine and find out about the history and story of framework knitting and its connections to the workhouse’. This event is free (admission to the site still applies) and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Friday 29th – Sunday 31st May:  Come along to Newstead Abbey to enjoy their ‘Medieval Merriment’ event. The event includes a medieval outdoor trail, dress-up rail, crafts and activities, and the Knights of Skirbeck Medieval Village. This event is free (site entry and parking charges still apply) and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Have you ever wondered what Historic Environment Records (HERs) are or what they are used for? Alongside Historic England, HER offices across England have collaborated together to produce two wonderful introductory short films showcasing how HERs work and why they are such a valuable resource.

There are over 80 HER offices across England, each bringing together all sorts of information about archaeology, historic buildings and landscapes within its designated area. Together, they provide national coverage - helping people access trusted local knowledge and supporting the understanding, management and conservation of historic places.

Every single HER record brings together written information and geographic data about the historic environment in a particular area. They help planners, researchers, communities and visitors understand what exists, what matters, and how places have evolved over time.

This first short introductory film explains what exactly the Historic Environment Records are in more detail: What are Historic Environment Records?

Why are Historic Environment Records important?

Most of us walk across layers of history every day without realising it. Not just famous landmarks, but ordinary places. Fields. Streets. Buildings. Coastlines. Places we pass without a second thought. What stories do these places hold? Who or what was here before us? The answer is out there, sometimes all it takes is knowing where to look.

This second short collaboration film aims to show why HERs matter: Why Historic Environment Records Matter

Behind every historic record is a person making sense of it.

HER teams work with information, maps and evidence as well as with judgement, context and care. Their role is to help translate layers of the past into something useful for the present. It’s quiet work, but it shapes real decisions about places and landscapes.

Across England, these teams are dedicated to the ongoing effort of keeping track of change, recording what matters, and helping places evolve without losing what makes them special.

Have you ever really looked at where you live? Everything around you has a story that ties the people who use it today to the people who used it in the past, be it a large site like manor house or a small site like a phone box. Explore where you live on our Nottinghamshire County Council HER website, with map and search functions, or get in touch with us at heritage@nottscc.gov.uk.

For more information on Historic Environment Records across England, visit the Historic England website here

April is bursting to the seams with exciting heritage events. There's something for all ages and interests, check out just a few of them below:

Opening Wednesday 1st April: A new exhibition ‘We The People’ is to open at Lakeside Arts. ‘Drawing on a wide range of manuscripts and printed collections, this exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. It explores the issues at stake in the Wars of Independence and considers some of the complex problems which faced the United States as it fought to win, and realise, its new-found freedom’. This exhibition is free and booking is not required. If you don’t have time to visit this April, don’t worry as this exhibition is open until September. For more information, visit the event page here.

Thursday 2nd April: Join buildings archaeologist James Wright for the online talk ‘The Folklore of Ancient Buildings’. ‘This talk will attempt to decipher the complex relationships between archaeology, folklore, and architecture’. Tickets are acquired through donation and booking is required. Book your place here.

Sunday 5th and Monday 6th April: Papplewick Pumping Station’s ‘ever popular Easter steaming returns’ this April. The event features something for everyone including live music, trade stalls, live entertainment by The Grand Cavalcade, a multitude of historic displays and demonstrations, and lots of refreshments. Tickets cost up to £14.50 per person (under 12’s go free) and booking is not required – booking on the door is available but tickets are 50p more expensive. Book your place here.

Wednesday 15th April: Join Nottinghamshire County Council’s wonderful planning archaeology Emily Gillott at Worksop Library to explore recent archaeological discoveries form Nottinghamshire. She will ‘present stories of recent discoveries on subjects ranging from cremation and burials to Roman villas and pottery, ritual landscapes in Skegby, charcoal burning in Sherwood Forest, and more’! Tickets cost £3.50 each and booking is required. Emily’s last presentation sold out quickly so don’t hesitate to book your place here.

Friday 17th April: In association with the National Civil War Centre, ‘Dr Samantha Tipper, Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin will share her fascinating analysis of human skeletons from the Battle of Stoke Field and the stories hidden in their bones’ at the Palace Theatre, Newark. Tickets for ‘Evening Talk: Silent Witnesses: What human remains tell us about the Battle of Stoke Field’ cost up to £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 18th April: Head to Bassetlaw Museum for a presentation on the story of cinema in Worksop by projectionist Derek Taylor. Derek, the last projectionist at The Regal Cinema and Theatre before its closure in 2005, reflects on his years behind the projector and backstage. Derek not only made up and shown the films, but also worked with a whole variety of acts from school and amateur productions to world famous stars. In this engaging and nostalgic talk, he explores Worksop’s picture houses from their 19th-century beginnings through the Regal’s long history to the modern revival with the Savoy’. Tickets are free (suggested donation of £3) and booking is required. Limited tickets remain so book your place here.

Tuesday 21st April: At Mansfield Central Library, ‘Joy Wood will be talking about the history of Harlow Wood orthopaedic hospital near Mansfield, and her time there during her nurse training from 1977 – 1979’. Tickets to ‘Heritage Talk: From Bedpan to Pen!’ cost £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: May Day flagpole (By Bryan Ledgard - Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Monday 27th April: In association with Creswell Crags, ‘join folklore expert, Icy Sedgwick, online to discover the fascinating folklore of May Day’. ‘Both one of the pagan fire festivals and a beloved fixture in the folk calendar, May Day is a popular celebration of the start of summer. It offers a host of rituals, fertility practices, good luck charms, and love divination. This talk will explore some of the customs associated with May Day in the UK’. Tickets are free (suggested donation of £4) but booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 28th April: At West Bridgford Library, Sam Millard will be presenting the ‘Heritage Talk: Reason and Rhyme’. ‘The original reason for the rhymes has, by and large, been completely lost and forgotten.  'Reason and Rhyme’… looks at the original meaning of rhymes and how they have been recorded over time’. Tickets cost £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 30th April: At Retford Library, ‘historian Robert Mee examines the origin of almshouses in the Byzantine era, their development during the Medieval period and their continuation into modern times. He will look at the 30 or 40 almshouses closest to Retford, some of which are still in use today’. Tickets cost £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 30th April: ‘Located at Yew Tree Farm in Bonsall, Derbyshire, is a Grade II listed framework knitters’ workshop built in 1737 and left largely untouched since one of the last local knitters passed away in 1911. Behind the characteristic wide knitters’ windows, traces of the trade are still preserved including spare frame parts and written notes on the walls. This free lunchtime talk, delivered by the current owners, Adam Hill and Samantha Deakin Hill, outlines the history of the workshop as well as the current conservation project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Historic Houses Foundation’. This talk at the Framework Knitters Museum is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

The Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire in 1485 altered the course of English history and ushered in the reign of the Tudor dynasty. It was regarded as a significant win for the House of Lancaster during the War of the Roses, a war that had seen the House of York and the House of Lancaster fighting for the English throne since 1455. In this battle, Henry Tudor’s (subsequently known as Henry VII) army managed to kill the current king Richard III on the battlefield, allowing Henry and the House of Lancaster to take the throne.

Today, this battle is largely considered to have ended to the War of the Roses as the Tudor dynasty managed to consolidate and maintain power until Elizabeth I’s death in 1603. But at the time, the Yorkists weren’t ready to give up and were making moves to secure the English throne once again.

The Yorkist side found hope in Lambert Simnel, a 10-year-old boy pretending to be the Earl of Warwick, supposedly the son of Edward IV’s brother. The leaders of the Yorkist side used Simnel to re-group support after the devasting Battle of Bosworth.

To gather an army, the Yorkist leaders travelled to Dublin in May 1487 and managed to recruit over 4000 men. Simnel was even crowned ‘King Edward VI’ in Dublin by the Yorkist leaders and Irish nobility.

Above: 19th century illustration depicting Irish supporters carrying Simnel (By Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed. Vol XXV. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 124. - Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed. Vol XXV. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 124., Public Domain)

Returning to England at the start of June 1487, the army numbers increased to around 8,000 soldiers and the men began travelling south from Lancaster. Along the way, the rebel Yorkist army encountered Lancastrian cavalry which started three days of skirmishes at Sherwood Forest. The Lancastrian cavalry was forced back to Nottingham by the rebel Yorkists, and there the cavalry waited for Henry’s main army to come and assist.

King Henry’s army of some 15,000 men arrived in Nottingham on 14th June, including reinforcements from Wales. The poorly-equipped Yorkist army were dangerously outnumbered.

Both sides clashed in battle on 16th June 1487 in East Stoke, a battle to be known as the Battle of Stoke Field. It remains Nottinghamshire’s only registered battlefield.

Only parts of Henry’s army had formed up properly when the battle started but even so, the Yorkist army, with their fewer numbers, poorly-equipped soldiers and weaker leadership, suffered a devasting loss with heavy casualties. By the end, almost all of the Yorkist leaders had been killed and many of the soldiers tried to ‘flee towards the River Trent but were captured or killed. The River Trent is said to have “run red with blood”’.

The number of men killed in the battle is estimated to be between 4000-7000 men and unfortunately the hope of putting a Yorkist on the throne died with them.

Burial pits containing some of the fallen have been recorded near East Stoke (M1680 and M17856). A small number of 8-11 individuals recovered from this pit were analysed as recently as the mid 2010’s. The results suggested all the remains belonged to robust males aged between 17 and 46. Sharp force trauma was encountered on many bones including skulls and tibia. Some of the skulls recovered from one of the burial pits, illustrating battlefield trauma, are on display currently at the National Civil War Centre in Newark.

Dr Samantha Tipper at Anglia Ruskin University is also currently undertaking osteoarchaeological analysis on a set of skeletons recovered from the battlefield and it is hoped that from this project we can find out more about a bit about who these soldiers were, what they experienced during their lives, and where they spent most of their lives.

The Battle of Stoke Field is not only important for Nottinghamshire’s heritage but also in English history as the true end of the War of the Roses.

For fantastic videos, including some wonderful interviews with some of the main characters of the battle, and a self-guided trail on public footpaths to visit the site, visit the Nottinghamshire County Council’s web page here.

As a registered battlefield, Historic England manages the record and research of this site, you can view their list entry here.

Above: Battle of Stoke Field at ground level (By Andrew Tatlow, CC BY-SA 2.0)