The department originally derived from the Office of Works (Kings Works) responsible only for royal properties (1378-1832) which became the Office of Woods, Forest, Land Revenues and Works (1832-1852).
From the 1880s the Office of Works was also responsible for the upkeep of ancient monuments, a role later taken on by the Department of the Environment and later, when responsibility for heritage matters was devolved, in 1977, by English Heritage and the other Home Country heritage organisations.