What Is Heritage Crime?

Heritage crime can be any act that causes harm to an asset or its surroundings.

For example, damaging or undertaking unauthorised alterations, such as building upon or digging up, heritage assets are considered a heritage crime. Even things that might seem innocent like metal detecting without authorisation, making ruts in the soil of an asset using a bike, or putting in fencing without permission can be considered a heritage crime.

Other crimes that are not necessarily specified as a heritage crime can also affect sites and historic landscapes. This could be graffiti, fly-tipping, theft, criminal damage, or arson.

Scheduled assets are legally protected against crimes, which means anyone who causes damage to any assets could have enforcement taken against them and ultimately be prosecuted. In such cases The Local Authority, Historic England and the Police work together to establish the facts and take any required action.

Protected heritage assets that we have in Nottinghamshire include:

• Scheduled Archaeological Monuments - such as Margidunum Roman Station or Rufford Abbey
• Listed Buildings – such as Papplewick Pumping Station or Lutterell Hall
• Registered Battlefields – such as the Battlefield at East Stoke
• Conservation Areas – such as Southwell or Cropwell Bishop
• Registered Parks and Gardens – such as Thoresby Park or Clumber Park

Other protected heritage assets, that aren’t present in Nottinghamshire, are World Heritage Sites, protected marine wrecks, and protected military remains of aircraft and vessels of historic interest.

You can check whether an asset is scheduled or listed by searching the Historic England database. Historic England maintains and updates all records of designated assets. Search the National Heritage List here.

You can also check the protected heritage assets specifically in Nottinghamshire via the ‘designations’ section of our search page.

Above: Graffiti at King's Mill Viaduct, Mansfield

Why Does It Matter?

Heritage crimes not only threaten our valuable local assets, but they threaten to destroy both local and national understanding (current and future) as well as public enjoyment.

Alongside large areas like conservation areas and designated parks and gardens, there are a range of smaller assets can be listed or scheduled, such as bridges, war memorials, phone boxes, even garden urns. Heritage assets are all around us and some people may not realise how special the things around them are.

 A large number of our heritage assets in Nottinghamshire are in remote areas or lack the protection of physical security features, so we rely on everyone keeping an eye out and reporting any issues or signs of damage/alterations.

A study conducted by Newcastle University, Loughborough University and the Council for British Archaeology in 2011 suggested that over 70,000 listed buildings (18.7% of all listed buildings at the time) had been affected by crime in a single year. Within that, nearly half of those buildings (30,000) had been majorly affected by the crime committed.

The study also suggested that antisocial behaviour is one of the most common threats to our historical sites. In a year, 12.3% of all heritage assets were affected by antisocial behaviour.

You can read the full 2011 study here: Heritage Crime: the size of the problem

To learn more about heritage crime, how large scale the issue is, and why it matters, visit the Historic England website here.

Above: General Baptist Chapel, Kirkby Woodhouse, with no roof due to a fire/vandalism.

What To Do If You Spot A Heritage Crime?

If a crime is in progress, a suspect is nearby, violence has been threatened or is occurring, or there is danger to life – treat this an emergency and call the police through 999.

If you witness a heritage crime that is not an emergency and not currently occurring, or suspect one has been committed, report it to the police through 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers through 0800 555 111.

There is currently a team of six police officers equipped with specialist skills to deal with heritage crime courtesy of training by Historic England. ‘Those interested in getting in touch with an officer can contact the heritage crime team via email at heritagecrime@notts.police.uk’. You can read more about the new heritage crime police team here.

If it is not an emergency and you are unsure or would like some guidance on reporting a heritage crime, you can contact our NCC heritage team who will be able to help you via our email at heritage@nottscc.gov.uk

There are so many historical events happening in Nottinghamshire this May, it's hard to keep count! There's something for everyone from prehistoric talks to medieval festivals to finds days. Here's just a few of them below:

Saturday 2nd May: Head to the National Civil War Centre, Newark, for ‘Country Beats and Dancing Feet’. ‘Country Beats and Dancing Feet offers an engaging look at how people danced, socialised and celebrated in Stuart England. Focusing on the popular country dances enjoyed in market squares and village greens, this event explores the role of music and movement in everyday life during the 17th century. The session is inspired by John Playford’s 1651 publication The English Dancing Master, the first known country dance manual, which recorded dances complete with music and instructions and remained popular for more than 100 years’. ‘Led by Lynne and Mike Spicer, the event combines historical insight with live participation’. Tickets cost up to £5 per person and booking is required. This session is for adults, however there is a family event during the day with live music and dancing. Book the adult session here and for more information on the family day, click here.

Sunday 3rd May: ‘A team from the Framework Knitters Museum will be based in Lambley Village Hall celebrating the lost springtime tradition of Cowslip Sunday’. This event includes machine demonstrations, live music, historical displays, and much more. Booking is not required and this event is free. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 4th May: Head to ‘the Framework Knitters Museum on Bank Holiday Monday 4th May for a host of free events to celebrate May Day’. This event includes puppetry, craft demos, storytelling, musical performances, and much more. Booking is not required and this event is free. For more information, visit the event page here.

Thursday 7th May: ‘Local historian, educationalist and author Adrian Gray will be visiting the Bassetlaw Museum to talk about the Dangerous Women of Nottinghamshire. His lively presentation will look at some of the women of Nottinghamshire who have has a significant impact in challenging the man’s world that they were forced to live in. The selection includes a mix of social and spiritual revolutionaries who had an impact way beyond the county boundary’. Tickets cost up to £3 per person. Book your place here.

Saturday 9th May: ‘Have you discovered a mysterious object while metal detecting, gardening, dog walking, or exploring the outdoors? Curious about its story? Bring your find to Mansfield Museum and get it identified by an expert. Join Meghan, Finds Liaison Officer for Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire, who will be on hand to examine objects and help uncover their historical significance’. This event is free, but booking is required. Book your place here.

Monday 11th May: Creswell Crags have organised the online talk ‘The Arid Ape: how arid environments made us human’. In this talk, Professor Amelia Villaseñor (University of Arkansas) will examine how our ancestors, called hominins, carved a new piece of the African landscape for themselves. Unlike our close-ape relatives, early hominins learned to survive in regions that are drier, but not necessarily hotter than current chimpanzee habitats. These arid regions may be a key to understanding our origins’. This event is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 12th May: Head to Mansfield Museum to explore the buildings designed by architect Watson Fothergill. ‘Flamboyant Victorian Architect Watson Fothergill was born in 1841 in Mansfield and some of his earliest buildings were in the town, including houses, shops and the Cattle Market. Join Lucy Brouwer (the creator of the popular Nottingham guided tour: Watson Fothergill Walk) in this illustrated talk. The talk will look at the surviving buildings in Mansfield, and those that have been demolished’. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Watson Fothergill's Woodborough Road Baptist Church (By Darren Turner - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saturday 16th May: ‘Hands On Heritage Day returns to Mansfield Central Library this May, bringing a variety of fun and free activities for all the family! Come along and explore pop-up museums and local history displays, find out about family history, browse the books for sale, and get hands-on with fun crafts and activities’. This event is free and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th May: Head to Thoresby Park ‘for the weekend to celebrate, remember and reminisce the 1940s’ with their weekend event: ‘1940s Spirit of Wartime Sherwood’. There will be dance lessons and ration book cooking demonstrations and the battle for stone bridge. The weekend event will also include live music, ‘vintage traders village, food & drink, war-time vehicles, living history camps, military museum, courtyard shops’. This event is free and booking is not required. However there is a car park fee of £5 (cash only) and there is a camping option available at £50+booking fee. You can also come along for certain live music and dancing events which require booking (click here). For more information, visit the event page here.

Wednesday 20th May: Head to Beeston Library for the ‘Heritage Talk: Marriage Disasters of the Sherwood Nobility’. ‘Focusing mainly on the period after 1800, local historian Adrian Gray will look at some of the disastrous marriages made by lords, dukes and earls who formed the elite of Dukeries society’. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 23rd – Monday 25th May: ‘The Gathering of the North’ returns to Sherwood Forest for 2026. ‘Step back into the medieval world by joining the Gathering of the North and experiencing medieval Britain in the home of Robin Hood’. There will be medieval traders, fighting displays, performers, interactive workshops, lots of activities like axe throwing and archery and much more! Booking is not required but there is a parking fee of up to £15 per car. For more information, visit the event page here.

Sunday 24th – Monday 25th May: The Artisan Fair & Steam event is now in its 4th year at Papplewick Pumping Station. The event includes live music, interactive crafts, traders, machine demonstrations and much more. Tickets cost up to £14.50 (on the door is more expensive than booking online) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 26th May: At the Workhouse and Infirmary, Southwell, ‘come and meet some of the team from the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington’ during their Framework Knitters Takeover. ‘Have a go on a Victorian circular knitting machine and find out about the history and story of framework knitting and its connections to the workhouse’. This event is free (admission to the site still applies) and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Friday 29th – Sunday 31st May:  Come along to Newstead Abbey to enjoy their ‘Medieval Merriment’ event. The event includes a medieval outdoor trail, dress-up rail, crafts and activities, and the Knights of Skirbeck Medieval Village. This event is free (site entry and parking charges still apply) and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.