HERDS: delivering a research-focused strategy for HS2
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2017-09-12

Phase One of HS2 will represent the largest programme of historic environment works ever undertaken in the UK. The linear route from London to Birmingham and into Staffordshire will extend across a distance of approximately 230km and across the grain of the landscape of southern and central England through varying geologies, topographies and regions. An innovative approach is, therefore, required to deliver high-value knowledge and maximise public benefit, from a defined budget and within a defined timeframe. The Historic Environment Research and Delivery Strategy (HERDS) has been designed to provide a research focus for archaeological and heritage works, alongside involving communities and developing sector skills. The approach taken has been to develop a series of key research themes and specific objectives. These objectives have been defined following an extensive resource assessment and consultations with the academic community, local authority stakeholders, the heritage industry and Historic England.
All historic environment works will be designed to contribute to these specific objectives, which are defined at location-specific, region-focused and scheme-wide scales. Collaboration will be required between HS2 Ltd and historic environment contractors across the route and mechanisms will be put in place, including a dedicated online GIS, web portal and round table meetings, to facilitate the management and discussion of ongoing works, interim results and comparative data. This paper will discuss the HERDS approach, provide examples of specific research objectives and discuss the mechanisms for the implementation of the archaeology and heritage programme for Phase One of HS2.