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Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor - a battle won but the struggle continues
June 28, 2005, 4:35 pm
Recent news of a High Court ruling has led many people to think that the threat of quarrying on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire is now over. Stanton Moor is of special archaeological interest and is home the Nine Ladies, a bronze age stone circle and many other prehistoric ritual and burial sites.
However, the ruling doesn't mean the area is safe from quarrying and doesn't change the desire of Stancliffe Stone to quarry on the moor, indeed there are indications that the war to save the area from further quarrying is far from won. In fact Stancliffe Stone quickly appealed against the decision and the good news is that the original decision was upheld. The quarry company will have to submit a new planning application in order to commence quarrying. Heritage Action are continuing to monitor the situation.
Campaigners who have camped at the Nine Ladies for many years are convinced that further moves to re-open the quarries will happen soon so they plan to stay put and continue to protest against any further quarrying .
People concerned about Nine Ladies and looking to support the campaign to protect Stanton Moor from exploitation should visit and talk to the campaigners at the Nine Ladies to learn the latest news. Until the picture becomes clearer, it's important to keep the pressure on the Dales National Park Authority to resist any further moves to quarry the site. Heritage Action joins with the campaigners in asking for letters to be written voicing concerns about the potential re-opening of the Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarry sites. Please send politely written letters or emails, voicing your objection to quarrying on the moor to:
The Peak District National Park Authority
Aldern House, Baslow Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1AE
or email: aldern@peakdistrict.gov.uk
and/or
Lord Edward Manners
Haddon Hall, Bakewell, DE45 1LA
or to send an email click here.
To read more about the threats to Stanton Moor see our Nine Ladies pages here.
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Selfish mess at Druid's Circle
June 26, 2005, 1:44 pm
The Druid�s Circle of Ulverston is a small but enchanting late neolithic/early bronze age monument overlooking magnificent Morecombe Bay. On a trip to inspect the site last week, Heritage Action site inspector Alan Simkins was disappointed to find that a family had taken over the the monument.
Photo: Alan Simkins
They had parked their van within inches of the outer circle stones and set up a temporary camp within the inner stones, complete with campfire. Three children played around the fire, while the adults slept . A small shovel, presumably for latrine purposes lay just outside the circles.
Don't do this!
Lighting fires, camping and digging around an ancient monument can damage fragile archaeological remains and makes an unsightly mess. If the monument is 'scheduled' it is also against the law. As for driving a van so close to the stones - we'll leave you to conclude whether this is a good idea or not.
Alan said: 'It is very selfish of them. My experience of the monument was utterly ruined by their mess and I am left seething several days later.'
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Stone rowing demonstrated on live TV
June 22, 2005, 5:11 pm
Heritage Action men and women were out in force on Salisbury Plain to support Gordon Pipes as he demonstrated his technique of megalith transportation on live TV. 'Stone rowing' as Gordon calls it, uses levers to raise and lower a block and row it forward and can be used as effectively up or down hill. His technique was demonstrated on Channel Five TV live from Salisbury Plain on 20 June to co-incide with midsummer solstice.
Gordon Pipes, pictured below standing on the concrete block, said: 'I don't like hard work and neolithic people would have wanted to make it easy for themselves too. Using levers gives a mechanical advantage that they would have known about. It's really the only practical method, especially uphill and makes moving a megalith with very few people relatively easy.'
Photo: Nigel Swift
After practicing for a day, Katie Sanderson who presented the programme 'Stonehenge - Live' challenged Gordon and his team of volunteer 'Stonehengineers' to see how far they could move a 12 ton concrete
block in 20 minutes on live TV. Gordon's team of only 32 people moved the block 10.9ms uphill using the stone rowing method.
Pictured above: The Stonehengineers row the block uphill. Photo: Nigel Swift
Jane Tomlinson, heritage action member who assisted in the stone rowing demonstration said: 'It was thrilling to recreate a technique that our neolithic ancestors may well have used to move the stones. To feel the stone float on its levers and travel so easily uphill was a revelation.'
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Better access at the Rollrights
June 22, 2005, 11:29 am
Access to the three ancient monuments that make up the Rollright stones has been greatly improved. It is now easier than ever for wheelchair users and families with pushchairs to enjoy the spectacle of the The King's men stone circle, the Whispering Knights burial chamber and the King Stone standing stone in the beautiful north Oxfordshire countryside.
The improvements at the Rollright stones give better access for wheelchair users. Photo: Jane Tomlinson
The improvements were unveiled in a ceremony last weekend when George Lambrick, chair of trustees of The Rollright Trust who cares for the monuments welcomed visitors and guests to inspect the new facilities for themselves.
A portion of land to the south of the King's Men stone circle has been acquired to allow visitors to enter the circle through the portal that the bronze age builders of the circle originally intended. An all-weather anti-mud path suitable for wheelchairs now leads down from the King's men stone circle to the Whispering Knights burial chamber. Access to the King stone has been improved and information boards have been erected.
George Lambrick said: 'We believe that this is one of the very first ancient monuments to allow access to all.'
A ribbon, strung between the original portal stones, was ceremonially cut by the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Hugo Brunner and Dr Aubrey Burl patron of the Rollright Trust. Dr Burl became fascinated with stone circles after visiting the Rollrights many years ago. He went on to become one of the world's leading experts on stone circles and megalithic cultures. He is now retired.
Pictured above George Lambrick and Aubrey Burl at the official opening of the new facilities at the Rollrights. Photo:Jane Tomlinson
Among the many attendees at the event were local MP David Cameron, the druid leader King Arthur Pendragon, the local Morris men and many people using wheelchairs and with small children in buggies who 'road tested' the paths.
Sadly, the stone circle still remains splattered with yellow paint after they were vandalised in 2004.
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Cherhill white horse facelift
June 15, 2005, 5:39 pm
The Cherhill white horse in Wiltshire is undergoing a facelift similar to its recently restored neighbouring chalk horses at Broad Hinton and Marlborough.
Photo: C.Smith
This hill figure underwent major restoration in August 2002 when 150 tons of chalk, 900 metres of timber and 1500 wooden pegs were used to put it back to as near its believed original condition as possible. The work was carried out by a mixture of paid and volunteer labour at a cost of £20,000 mostly covered by a grant, but the present annual maintenance is being carried out by volunteers. The figure is in the care of Cherhill Parish Council.
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