Conservation of Scheduled Monuments in Cultivation: COSMIC+

Our historic environment is fragile.  It is a finite resource, and once damaged or lost it cannot be replaced.  Many of our oldest and most precious monuments survive as below-ground features, only visible as cropmarks or perhaps as shallow depressions or mounds.  Of these, the ones that lie beneath arable farmland are at risk from plough and crop damage.  More recently, it has become very apparent that climate change will have a seriously adverse effect on our historic environment.

One of the methods of assessing the health of our monuments is through the use of an archaeological investigation method called COSMIC+, an acronym for Conservation of Scheduled Monuments in Cultivation.  COSMIC+ is essentially a risk assessment undertaken on scheduled monuments buried beneath the surface of the soil, over which the farmer grows a crop.  It seeks to understand how well the archaeological feature is surviving under the current cropping regime, with a report to recommend  activity that will help protect the monument for the future.  The + part indicates that there is an additional questionnaire to the farmer to understand past, current and future cropping regimes and plans.

The series of videos on this page were created to explain how COSMIC+ works, and the benefits of using this method to understand the current state of the archaeology, and how to protect these monuments for the future.  It also touches on how farmers and landowners might benefit from different stewardship schemes.

Transforming the Trent Valley has been working in partnership with Historic England, and together with Worcestershire Archaeology and Chris Seabridge Associates, has created a series of videos to explain how COSMIC+ works, and the benefits of using this method to understand the current state of the archaeology, and how to protect these monuments for the future.  It also touches on how farmers and landowners might benefit from different stewardship schemes. The following individuals have supported the creation of these videos:

Jez Bretherton is Historic England’s Senior Policy Adviser – Environmental Land Management, and Rural Strategy & Heritage At Risk Project Officer for the Midlands.

Nick Carter is Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Historic England

Nigel Baskerville is a Farm Conservation Advisor with Chris Seabridge Associates

Robin Jackson is Manager at Worcestershire Archaeology

What is COSMIC+?

Jez Bretherton gives a general overview of COSMIC+ for farmers, landowners and other interested parties.

An introduction to COSMIC+

Jez Bretherton and Robin Jackson discuss COSMIC+ in this short but informative presentation.

Stewardship of the historic environment

Jez Bretherton  Nigel Baskerville discuss stewardship of archaeological monuments beneath arable farmland, and potential opportunities for landowners and farmers.

Scheduled monuments and scheduled monument consent

Nick Carter, Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Historic England explains the significance of our scheduled monuments, and what scheduled monument consent is.

For more information about the COSMIC+ investigations we conducted, please click on the buttons below.