Heritage organisations

Council for British Archaeology (CBA)

The Council for British Archaeology is the leading independent body for UK archaeology, bringing together professionals, volunteers and communities to open up archaeology for all.

Areas of interest

It has a particular interest in historic buildings as an important part of the material evidence for the study of past human behaviour.

The CBA’s primary concern with historic buildings lies not with aesthetics, or amenity considerations, but with the archaeological evidence contained in the fabric of the structure. The approach includes:

• an appreciation of the building as a totality,
• an assessment of the significance of the building within its neighbourhood and region,
• an ability to estimate the likelihood of evidence latent within the building or the site it occupies,
• an ability to recognise and draw attention to those buildings of complicated development which straddle the interests of several period societies and where the long evolution is itself of significance.

As well as advising on formal notifications through the listed building consent system we welcome informal contacts from owners, developers, architects, local groups or individuals.

The CBA uses a network of expert local correspondents, a specialist panel of advisors and professional staff to advise on how to minimise the impact of any development proposals, and on assessment and recording. We also make our casework available to all via an online database, accessible at http://www.cbacasework.org/.

More broadly, the CBA works across the UK to open up the UK’s rich heritage for all and safeguard it for future generations. We operate a Young Archaeologists’ Club for 8-16 year olds and work to involve people in archaeology, give everyone an opportunity to discover more about the archaeology of the UK, and champion the importance of the UK’s rich archaeological heritage.