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Yet more vandalism at the Rollright Stones
September 17, 2007, 8:37 pm
Following the recent vandalism at the Rollright Stones, a Heritage Action Site Inspector visited the site on last weekend:
I had arrived early, so as to avoid the tourists, and had the circle to myself for all of 5 minutes. I nearly cried when I saw the aftermath of the damage, both in the circle and to the King Stone sign.
At least 4 inches of wood ash surrounded the base of the stone at the right of the entrance to the circle, and the entire top of the stone was blackened, presumably where the tyre was hung and filled with wood. Closer investigation of the ashes turned up wood that had not been fully burnt, and I was horrified to find that these remains suggested that pre-worked kindling had been used to set the fire, suggesting that this was not a spur of the moment thing, but an act that had been carefully planned.
Fire Damage at the Rollrights - Photo Credit: Alan S
Across the way, the cast iron sign by the King Stone had also been attacked, looking like it had been set to with a gemmy bar, as the iron was split and buckled.
I have tried to understand the mindset of people who would do such a pointless thing. I have failed. Maybe it was because there was only £7 in the collection box that they also raided?
Luckily, it looks as if the Whispering Knights were left alone.
In response to this latest attack, Claire Gourlay, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said:
"We are investigating this attack and an officer has visited the site to assess the potential benefit of scenes-of-crime officers attending to gather forensic evidence."
Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Police on 08458 505505
The Rollrights still stand, but for how much longer? Anecdotal evidence points to the fired stone being cracked around its circumference, and thus in danger of further damage. Something has to be done to stop these attacks, before someone does irreversible damage to this ancient monument. In response to this latest act of vandalism, George Lambrick, chairman of the Rollright Trust charity, has said:
"We are considering installing some kind of CCTV system here to deter further attacks."
It's a sorry state of affairs when a Scheduled Ancient Monument has to be protected in this way, and a sad indictment of what we are becoming as a society. Heritage Action hopes that the vandals are brought to justice, and that the good work of the Rollright Trust is not compromised by arguments over who pays to secure the site.
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