Ancient Monuments Act 1931
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the Law relating to ancient monuments. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. 16 |
| Territorial extent | [b] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 11 June 1931 |
| Commencement | 11 June 1931[c] |
| Repealed |
|
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913 |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Ancient Monuments Act 1931 (21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. 16) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that aimed to improve the protection afforded to ancient monuments in Britain.
Details
The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c. 73) had begun the process of establishing legal protection for some of Britain's ancient monuments; these had all been prehistoric sites, such as ancient tumuli. The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. 34) had continued this process, empowering the government's Commissioners of Works 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 (10 Edw. 7 & 1 Geo. 5. c. 3). These were felt to be unwieldy, and the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913 (3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. 32) repealed all three, replacing them with the new Ancient Monuments Board to oversee the protection of such monuments.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.[1]
The 1931 act was passed 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.[2]
Subsequent developments
The whole act was repealed by section 64(3) of, and schedule 5 to, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979,[3] which came into force in England and Wales on 9 October 1981,[4] and in Scotland on 30 November 1981.[5]
Notes
- ^ Section 17(1).
- ^ Section 17(4).
- ^ The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
- ^ The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1981.
References
- ^ Mynors, pp8-9.
- ^ Mynors, p.10.
- ^ "Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1979 c. 46
- ^ "Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1981", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1981 c. 1300
- ^ "Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (Commencement No. 3) Order 1981", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1981 c. 1466
Bibliography
- Mynors, Charles. (2006) Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments. London: Sweet and Maxwell. ISBN 978-0-421-75830-8.
External links
- Text of the Ancient Monuments Act 1931 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.