The North York Moors National Park contains an astonishing number of archaeological remains dating from the last Ice Age through to the Cold War period. The Moors is home to the largest Iron Age hillfort of its kind in the North of England as well as Roman Forts, castles, abbeys and important early industrial sites.
Although the area has been subject to regular reconnaissance and archaeological aerial photography in the past, it had been over 20 years since a programme of systematic work was undertaken on the available air photographic resource. This has meant that very little of this protected landscape has been mapped as part of the National Mapping Programme. The aim of the North York Moors Project is to undertake an assessment of the historic environment resource in three sample areas of the North York Moors National Park that were deemed to be the most vulnerable. The project utilises the mapping of archaeological features from aerial photographs as part of the National Mapping Programme as well as assessment of existing historic environment records and national monument records. Approximately 28% of the North York Moors National Park has been targeted for aerial photographic mapping.
The project team includes Historic England, the North York Moors National Park Authority and Archaeological Research Services Ltd. The resulting information from the project will be made available to English Heritage, planners, local authority archaeologists and the public through the historic environment records held by the North York Moors National Park Authority and through the National Monuments Record held by English Heritage.