Historic England aerial photos: how to use map to search archive of images of your area from past 100 years

As the craze for drones over recent years has shown, the UK loves to get an aerial view of the world.

Now, thanks to Historic England, it’s easier than ever to get a birds eye view of the country because it has just released a huge archive of aerial photography.

People accessing this library of hundreds of thousands of images will be able to see features of England’s modern post-industrial landscape - as well as evidence of long-forgotten Medieval towns and villages.

For example, you can look at everything from Wembley football stadium through the ages, to Bishop Rock Lighthouse on Isles of Scilly and Redcar’s giant former iron and steel works on the banks of the River Tees.

So how can you access Historic England’s new aerial archive?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is Historic England?

Historic England is a public body that maintains and promotes key places and spaces from England’s history.

It provides advice to Government, communities and individuals on how to look after historic environments, for example, during the planning permission process.

The organisation also aims to enhance the country’s appreciation and understanding of its history through exhibitions, campaigns and by providing resources - such as the aerial photo archive.

What is the Historic England aerial photos archive?

Historic England’s Aerial Photography Explorer, which has been launched today (22 March) is a digital photo archive of aerial images taken over the past 100 years.

More than 400,000 birds eye images of England’s industrial heritage, ancient archaeology and most famous landmarks are available to view.

These photographs date from 1919 to the present day and show everything from Stoke-on-Trent’s potteries to war-scarred Liverpool and the remains of Medieval settlements, like Old Sulby in Northamptonshire.

Overall, they cover close to 30% (roughly 15,000 square miles) of England.

The archive will be expanded over the coming years as Historic England says it has around six million images still to digitise.

The public body says it hopes the new archive will encourage people to explore the history of their local area and “unlock the mysteries of England’s past”.

How can I access the Historic England aerial photos archive?

The new Aerial Photography Explorer can be accessed via Historic England’s website.

Users will see a map of England and can zoom in to find images from a specific area.

Historic England also has an aerial map of archaeological sites across England that can be accessed via a separate portal.

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