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Human settlements evolved over time and the historic towns of yesterday are the growing urban centres of today. The built environment in historic areas is undergoing such rapid transformation that visitors are no longer able to experience cultural values of the past. Identifying the cultural values that people experience in terms of the qualities of what, where and how may support a more realistic form of conservation planning. To assess one’s cultural experience in a historic centre, it is important to delineate the significant architectural heritage and its multiple qualities across time. For the purposes of this heritage value study, the historic city of Tiruchirappalli in southern India is chosen. The city, one of the oldest in India, is situated on the banks of a river and comprises an age-old hillock and many other important built forms. Using rapid ethnographic assessment methods, 12 characteristic forms were found and these were categorised according to eight qualities: historical, sacred, visual, spatial, functional, physical, memorable and sensitive. The validity of these qualities from peoples’ experiences on cultural values require further examination on a few sample streets with special focus on where and how visitors and residents feel the strongest sense of place.