News

Natural England publishes new environmental guidance for the management of historic battlefields

23 June 2026

Natural England has published Managing Registered Battlefields, a practical guide developed jointly by Natural England, Historic England, the Forestry Commission, and the Battlefields Trust to support the environmental management of these sites of conflict.

The guidance is designed to assist all those interested in caring for these special places that help define our national story. From farmers and land managers, to ecologists, communities, heritage professionals, and local authorities. It brings together best-practice on how to understand, protect, and enhance England’s battlefields, based on experiences over the past 30 years since the first Registered Battlefields were designated back in 1995.

In publishing the guidance Natural England wrote, ‘These sensitive landscape-scale historic sites face unique challenges today. Sustainable management requires an integrated approach that brings together farmers, land managers, and specialists from the historic and natural environment sectors.’.

It added ‘Managing Registered Battlefields shows the potential for land designated as Registered Battlefields to deliver more for people, nature and heritage, whilst continuing to produce food and growing the rural economy.’.

Collaboration was key in developing the guidance according to Battlefields Trust Research Coordinator, Simon Marsh.

‘In order to produce the guidance, input from all the stakeholders involved in the project was vital and the drafting team worked very well together’.  

He added, ‘The Battlefields Trust was particularly pleased to have been involved in developing this guidance as it adds to advice already produced by the Battlefields Trust with input from other stakeholders on Managing Change on Historic Battlefields’.