Information contained within the Historic Environment Record is accessible to all interested in the archaeology of Southeast Wales.

The Trust receives grants to allow it to provide information free of charge to private researchers and local and national bodies. GGAT HER reserve the right to waive fees, individual researchers will not normally be charged a fee. Enquiries from bodies or individuals undertaking work on a commercial basis will incur a service charge. The basic charging rate for the provision of information from the HER is £115+VAT per hour or any portion of an hour. The minimum charge for an enquiry will be £115+ VAT. A priority service is offered subject to staff availability (two working days), for a fee of £145+VAT per hour or part hour. The HER welcomes enquiries and correspondence in English and Welsh. We aim to meet the following turnaround times for enquiries: Commercial priority enquiry 2 working days; Commercial standard enquiry 5 – 7 working days; Non-commercial enquiry 15 working days.

All enquirers are asked to complete an Enquiry Form, and to read and accept the Welsh Archaeological Trust's Guidelines for Access and Charging and Conditions of Access. Copying is subject to copyright ownership and in some cases a copyright holder will need to be consulted before material can be released. Please visit our Conditions of Access page below before completing an enquiry form.  Please note that following cyber security enhancements, the GGA HER will be unable to accept .zip files from August 2019.

Alternatively, a visit can be made to the HER in person, however, we ask that an appointment be made in advance. A dedicated public workstation is provided with access to the digital record and mapping. Staff will be on hand to assist with any queries and retrieval of paper records. Access is also available to our report archive and small reference library.

The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 included measures (sections 35-37) for improving protection of non-designated historic assets through the maintenance of, and access to, Historic Environment Records. Welsh Ministers currently discharge some of these duties through the Welsh archaeological trust. This and other legislation applicable in Wales, particularly that pertinent to the protection of the Welsh Language and the support for Future Generations, has prompted the introduction of new Guidance for the Submission of Data to Welsh Historic Environment Records.

It has long been a condition of access to the Historic Environment Records maintained by the Welsh archaeological trust that those provided with data from the records have an obligation to provide return data. This includes corrections or supplementary information to existing records, new core records required as a consequence of the works which the data provided supported, and event records.

Detailed information in respect of submissions to the Historic Environment Records maintained by the Welsh archaeological trusts has also been revised and takes account not only of the requirements of new legislation, regulation and guidance but also additions to and revision of professional standards and guidance as published by the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists, and the particular benchmarks that the Historic Environment Records in Wales must continue to achieve.

The new submissions specifications are set out in Guidance for the Submission of Data to the Welsh Historic Environment Record which can be accessed at the links below. These will come into force from 1st October 2018, although each Trust will be happy to receive data that conforms to the guidelines prior to this date. Thereafter, they will be reviewed annually.

Further advice on the correct application of the Guidance for the Submission of Data to the Welsh Historic Environment Records can be obtained from the HER staff at each of the Welsh Trusts.

Our documentation at the bottom of the page aims to explain more about the content of the record, the services we provide as well as terms and conditions of access and guidelines for the submission of data with us.

Opening hours:

The HER is open to the public by appointment Monday to Friday 10.00-1.00 and 2.00-4.00. We are closed on Bank Holidays.