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Unseen 100-year-old photos of historic English sites released

Hundreds of thousands of aerial photographs of iconic English landmarks, monuments and villages dating back 100 years have been made available to see for the first time.

An online tool released by Historic England reveals the stunning bird's-eye images above England over the past century.

The Aerial Photograph Explorer tool allows the public to discover the changing face of England's urban and rural landscapes.

More than 400,000 photographs can be viewed for the first time with some of them dating back to 1919. They include eveything from historic sites including World War Two defences and nuclear power stations to the remains of Neolithic monuments, Roman farmsteads and medieval villages.

Historic England hopes people will use the tool to research their local areas as they offer an insight into a century of change.

They include the remains of ancient archaeology like Pilsdon Pen Iron Age hillfort in Dorset, and Second World War anti-invasion measures at Hampton Court Palace, that date back to 1941.

Regional Director of Historic England, Rebecca Barrett, said: “I am delighted that our new online tool will allow people to access easily our wonderful collection of aerial images and enjoy the historic photography that our team uses every day to unlock the mysteries of England’s past.”

Historic England's Aerial Investigation and Mapping Team, established in 1967, make up 75% of images provided - taking photographs of England from the air to discover new archaeological sites, create archaeological maps and monitor the condition of historic sites across the country.

To search the platform, click here.