This course will provide an introduction to battlefield sites across the UK, spanning a wide time range. Using a number of case studies, the main focus will be on the investigation, interpretation, conservation and management of these complex landscapes which are now regarded as key elements of Britain's cultural heritage.

1 hr lecture with 1 hr seminar once a week over 10 weeks

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Two 2,500 word essays, 50% weighting each

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ provide an outline military history of the British Isles as it pertains to an understanding of battles as culturally important sites and part of the archaeological resource.

■ provide a full overview of cultural resource management of conflict sites from the earliest times until the 18th century. This will include issues such as monuments and memorialisation, and the historiography of battlefields as represented by battlefield guides and other works.

■ explore the various ways in which the British landscape has influenced the nature of the battles fought within it.

■ provide a full overview of other relevant types of the military built environment in Britain. Sites of interest will include castles and forts and military installations from the modern period such as WWII coastal defences, POW camps and cold war airfields.

■ introduce the public context relating to the Cultural Resource Management of British battlefields - consideration of planning issues, conservation, public presentation, etc.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Evaluate the military history of the British Isles as expressed through its cultural remains

■ Analyse battlefields and other conflict-related sites to produce evaluation reports for cultural resource management

■ Apply a range of disciplines to the presentation of battlefields and other conflict-related battlefields

■ Analyse the relationship between landscape and military behaviours