Ancient Monuments Act 1931
Encyclopedia
The Ancient Monuments Act 1931 was an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
that aimed to improve the protection afforded to ancient monuments in Britain.
. The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900
had continued this process, empowering the government's Commissioners of Work and local County Councils to protect a wider range of properties. In 1908 a royal commission concluded that there were gaps between these two pieces of legislation, and the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1910
. These were felt to be unwieldy, and the Ancient Monuments Act repealed all three in 1913, replacing them with the new Ancient Monuments Board to oversee the protection of such monuments. Powers were given for the Board, with Parliamentary approval, to issue preservation orders and to protect the lands immediately around an ancient monument.
The Ancient Monuments Act was passed in 1931 to deal with gaps in this system. In particular, the new act extended the definition of an ancient monument to include a cave or an underground archaeological artefact; it also extended the powers of the state to manage development in the area around an ancient monument, allowing them to introduce preservation schemes to protect the wider neighbourhood.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
that aimed to improve the protection afforded to ancient monuments in Britain.
Details
The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 had begun the process of establishing legal protection for some of Britain's ancient monuments; these had all been prehistoric sites, such as ancient tumuliTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
. The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900
Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900
The Ancient Monuments Act 1900 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that aimed to improve the protection afforded to ancient monuments in Britain.-Details:...
had continued this process, empowering the government's Commissioners of Work and local County Councils to protect a wider range of properties. In 1908 a royal commission concluded that there were gaps between these two pieces of legislation, and the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1910
Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1910
The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1910 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that aimed to improve the protection afforded to ancient monuments in Britain.-Details:...
. These were felt to be unwieldy, and the Ancient Monuments Act repealed all three in 1913, replacing them with the new Ancient Monuments Board to oversee the protection of such monuments. Powers were given for the Board, with Parliamentary approval, to issue preservation orders and to protect the lands immediately around an ancient monument.
The Ancient Monuments Act was passed in 1931 to deal with gaps in this system. In particular, the new act extended the definition of an ancient monument to include a cave or an underground archaeological artefact; it also extended the powers of the state to manage development in the area around an ancient monument, allowing them to introduce preservation schemes to protect the wider neighbourhood.