Scheduled Ancient Monuments

Some monuments are protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs). They are thereby classed as being of national importance.

There are currently about 150 Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the National Park, although it is recognised that the list is not complete and the numbers are likely to rise significantly.

An owner of a Scheduled Ancient Monument should be sent an official notification by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which will explain the restrictions that this brings. In essence, it is an offence to carry out any ground-breaking work on a Scheduled Ancient Monument without prior consent. It is also against the law to use a metal detector on a Scheduled Ancient Monument.