Rod Whiteman
Cultural Heritage Officer
Transforming the Trent Valley

Medieval Swarkestone Bridge and the River Trent
© 2020 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Stop Line No 5 pillbox on the Clay Mills Canal Aqueduct
© 2020(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Bridge #17 on the Trent at Mersey Canal bewteen Swarkestone and Barrow Upon Trent
© 2020 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Floodplain at Burton Upon Trent
© 2020 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Flooding of the Burton Washlands in November 2019
© 2020 Victoria Bunter(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Flooding of the Burton Washlands in October 2019
© 2020 Victoria Bunter(Transforming the Trent Valley)
The Trent Valley landscape has a rich and diverse cultural heritage resource ranging in date from the early prehistoric through to the modern day. However significant pressures from development, mineral extraction, expanding infrastructure and agriculture across this area have and will continue to impact upon this valuable resource.
We are working with local communities, volunteers and landowners to record and improve the condition of vulnerable heritage assets across the project area and achieve sustainable management for them.
The aim of the project is to empower local communities and landowners to take responsibility for their heritage. Through training it will provide them with the skills to understand, record, monitor, manage and maintain heritage assets within the landscape partnership scheme area.
It will provide a framework to facilitate the longer-term curation of the historic environment, including the establishment of ongoing monitoring regimes and access to training materials to give landowners and local communities the confidence to be involved in the management and improvement of their local historic environment.
The condition of heritage assets and their principal threats and vulnerabilities will also be better understood, enabling strategies for longer-term designation and management to be developed.
For all the latest news about Transforming the Trent Valley, visit our news page.
When we hear the name 'Viking', what usually comes to mind is that of bearded ruthless raiders who sailed across the North Sea from Scandinavia, engaging in raids to pillage other lands for treasure.
Am I the only person, who when driving along the A38 cannot help smiling as I think of John Cleese?
Six thousand years ago, the Trent Valley was home to an ancient people; wandering farmers who worshipped strange gods of Nature.
The variety of places my work takes me to is fantastic. Last week I was at the Shugborough Estate as a guest of the National Trust, to learn their system for carrying out Condition Surveys of archaeological sites and monuments.
The great thing about the Transforming the Trent Valley Partnership is the sheer variety of what we’re working to achieve. This means I’m constantly talking with my colleagues to see how our work crosses over and how, when these overlaps occur, we can work together and get even better results.