England’s Historic Seascapes is a pilot historic landscape characterisation (HLC) project commissioned by English Heritage. The project will develop a methodology for extending existing HLCs into the inter-tidal and marine zone focussing initially on a study area in Liverpool Bay.

Blenheim Palace was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built between 1705 and 1722.The estate was landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s. But the history of the estate actually goes back over 6,000 years.

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Historic Landscape Management for the Blenheim Estate and the Countryside Agency, to report on the condition of significant archaeological sites and monuments on the estate.

Springhead in Kent was Wessex Archaeology’s longest-running and most prolific excavation. Around 30 archaeologists spent more than two years working at the site, finding more than 150,000 objects, ranging from axe heads dating to 300,000BC to a small hoard of Medieval silver pennies. The site was described as ‘an archaeologist’s dream’.

In 2005 Southern Water Services commissioned Wessex Archaeology to carry out the excavation of archaeological remains along the route of two new pipelines. More than 650 finds and sites were recorded, most between Manston airfield and Weatherlees Wastewater Treatment Works during these works.