HISTORIC England has today (Tuesday) launched a new online tool with 400,000 aerial photographs dating back 100 years - including landmarks, monuments and villages.

The online map reveals stunning bird’s eye images above England during 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 have been made available to view for the first time, covering major areas of England such as Newcastle, Dorset, Bristol, Liverpool, Hampshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

According to Historic England, some of the images date back from 1919 to the present day, covering thousands of historic sites, from World War Two defences and nuclear power stations to the remains of Neolithic monuments, Roman farmsteads and medieval villages.

Historic England hopes that people will use the tool to research their local areas, and offer an insight into a century of changes and development.

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 per cent 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.

The remaining 100,000 images derive from the Historic England Archive aerial photography collection, that enrich the collection through providing important historic photography, including interwar and post-war images from Aerofilms Ltd and The Royal Air Force.