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A lot has already been said about the sacred aspects of this site, all of which I respect, having seen this figure as a part of my own practice of Paganism for a long time.

I will, however, confine myself mainly to the archaeological aspects of what happened on the 1st and 2nd of July 2007. The Sussex Archaeological Society, as they were at pains to point out, have been the owners and custodians of the Long Man of Wilmington since 1925. As far as I am aware at no time since then have they made any decision with regard to its maintenance that has caused controversy such as has happened recently, any offence as a result of which they have now apologised for.

The replacement of the Victorian bricks with concrete blocks in 1969 was cause for some concern, but are now accepted fairly widely as the way in which the figure is kept visible. They are repainted about every 5 years, at which time 15 people are permitted on the figure for the relatively short time that it takes to do this. Groups are also allowed on the figure in order to clean the blocks from time to time and authorised personnel inspect it for damage.

Apart from the grazing by livestock there should be no other reason to go on the figure whatsoever.

The circumstances surrounding permission being given to ITV to film 80 women transforming the Long Man into a "Long Woman", for a programme hosted by Trinny and Susannah, have a certain mysterious element. We think that the plan, all along, was to film on the Long Man figure itself. Yet in the weeks leading up to the event the impression was given to many that they would not be on the actual figure. There was an apparent change of plan due to the weather, but we have been unable to obtain any details.

The suspicion has to be mentioned that all of this was an attempt to blindside those who the organisers knew would be angered by this event. It nearly worked. Having known of the event for weeks, we had practically no time at all to organise our protests and, considering this fact, we are justified in being relieved at what we have been able to achieve.

So then, to the events on Windover Hill itself. On Sunday 1st July Pagans turned up at the Long Man to find the figure covered in people rehearsing for the actual filming the next day. As far as we are aware there was no archaeological supervision of what was happening at all. When the women came off the figure for lunch, and at the end of the day's rehearsal, we let them know, in no uncertain terms, that they should not be on the figure. Their responses in the afternoon were very telling.

It was depressingly clear that during lunch they had been reassured by the film-crew that it was fine for them to be on the figure. The phrases that kept cropping up were "We've got permission", "It's only concrete blocks" and "What archaeology?" In order to complete filming it seems that the film-crew had completely misrepresented the nature of the site to them, possibly out of their own actual ignorance, possibly deliberately. One member of the film-crew's response to my pointing out the damage they could be causing was "Makes good television though doesn't it?" In a conversation with one of the researchers I was reassured that the women were "not on the figure itself". As this was said I could clearly see women lying next to and on the concrete blocks. The definition of "on the figure itself" seems to have been being used in the loosest possible sense and was, in any case, incorrect.

Later, when the photographs we had taken of the figure were inspected, the close-ups revealed that the positions the women were to take up on the figure had been marked by green sticks being stuck into the ground next to the concrete blocks, in other words, presumably, the most archaeologically sensitive areas. As far as I know this was done without a Scheduled Monument Consent.

The next day, Monday 2nd July, the protest started at 10:00am. This time had been pure guesswork on our part, but turned out to be the right time to turn up. Present at the protest were members of the Anderida Druid Gorsedd and Anderida Grove, Ashdown Grove and Avronelle Seed Group, as well as the Insular Order of Druids. Elsewhere other Druids were doing the invaluable work of phoning and e-mailing the media and relevant organisations. In this sense they were just as much present as everyone else, in an altogether less glamorous role. The women turned up shortly afterwards, this time dressed in white hooded boiler suits as these would ensure they showed up on camera. The protestors had leaflets to give out to the women, explaining our perspective on what they were doing, but they had been told not to take them. Two did and I know of one who apologised and said that she "had to" take part. Such is the power of television.

I was unable to be present until mid-afternoon, due to work, but arrived just as the women went up onto the Long Man. Prior to this, protestors had been giving interviews to the media and debating their point of view with the film crew and, of course, Trinny and Susannah. Crucially, during the day I had managed to talk to the Chief Executive Officer of the SAS and had passed on the information that sticks were being stuck into the ground on the figure, having had this independently confirmed by another protestor. To their credit, the CEO seems to have immediately phoned the Site Manager who ordered that the sticks be removed.

The event continued, with the women having also now been told, it seems, not to lie on the concrete blocks that protect the underlying archaeology (some of it at least). As they came off the hill those Druids present turned our backs on them in a line in a silent demonstration of our disgust at what they had done.

I care passionately about the Long Man of Wilmington. I have been walking in that area for many years and have read widely on the archaeology and history of the figure, which may well be a modern interpretation of a figure that has been in that space, on and off, for a very long time indeed. One of the largest Bronze Age round barrows in East Sussex lies directly above the space in which the Long Man lies, and the largest Neolithic Long Barrow in Sussex lies only a few yards away from that, practically equal in length to the space the Long Man now occupies and pointing directly at the top of the same space. These facts do not prove an ancient origin for the figure, but they must give pause for thought to anyone with a serious interest in our ancient heritage.

If the resulting footage of this event is broadcast, not only will it provide offence to many on religious, archaeological and heritage grounds, but I believe it will also encourage others to trespass on highly sensitive ground that is vulnerable to soil erosion.

The petition to stop the broadcast is here:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Longmanabuse/

London Weekend Television are the company:
http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=5

"Trinny and Susannah Undress" is the programme:
http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=6605

Littlewoods Direct are the sponsors:
http://www.littlewoodsdirect.com/rf/lxd/na...redirectTo=home

And this is the Trinny and Susannah forum:
http://community.itv.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

Fans of the dodgy, dubious and dreadful might care to take a look at what's going on in the genteel city of Hereford just now, regarding the Rotherwas Ribbon (or Dinedor Serpent as it started off as, until it was realised that name had attracted worldwide interest).

That it is a spectacular find, nationally and internationally important, is inarguable. A length of Bronze Age ritual trackway, domed, serpent-like, undulating and winding, clad in burnt stone, originally flanked by large timber posts, leading who knows where and for how far? between a putative sacred hill and a river. Oh Hereford, you already have the Mappa Mundi, you have no right to have the good fortune to have this as well!

Judging by the initial reactions of the County Archaeologist, its significance is well understood. He was like a dog with two tails and clearly knew this was a once in five lifetimes discovery, extraordinarily exciting for both him and the city. And yet, something very strange has now happened. Suddenly, his snake has gone limp. A council official has described his initial comparison with Stonehenge as "unfortunate". The possibility of a tourism dividend is being downplayed. No efforts are being made to temporarily protect it from deterioration during the present exceptional weather. (Whaaaat?! )

So what IS going on?

We don't know. In fact no-one knows anything. It was first discovered back in April and was announced through the media in July. English Heritage seem to have not visited it until then. So who knew what, and when? Was the County Archaeologist's news, and his boundless enthusiasm, transmitted to members of the council in April, May or June? No council members seem to be saying so, in fact the first any of them seem to have known about it was on the Radio 4 Today programme in July! So did ANYONE in the council know about it? Surely some members did. So how come they haven't come forward and said so?

Perspicacious readers will have twigged that there's a road on the horizon. In fact, its more than on the horizon, it's about to go straight over the Serpent. It's a funny road, very controversial as a Google search will reveal, intended to supply access to an industrial estate that already has access, together with the possibility of enabling executive houses to be built. It's a road that seems to defy all setbacks, including THREE rejections for funding by governments, both Labour and Conservative, on the grounds it isn't worth doing, PLUS a rejection by a Planning Enquiry for both economic and environmental reasons that the Council voted to ignore! We're talking persistence on the scale of a Jack Russell terrier with lockjaw hanging on to a juicy bone here.

So clearly, the serpent is viewed as a bit of a nuisance by some, to put it mildly. Should Hereford cherish a four thousand year-old monument or have a road the government thinks is useless? Hmmm, tough call. But never let it be said the council aren't resourceful. Here's the plan. Build the road OVER the monument and announce to the Hereford public the monument is so delicate that this is in it's best interest and best practice, as it will enable their great great great great grandchildren to enjoy it once the road is no longer required. Spiffing!

Well, we have a message for Hereford Council. You stick to politics and street cleaning. Let the archaeological community determine how nationally and internationally important monuments are best preserved. And that includes not pressurising those archaeologists that you employ who give every appearance to us of having to keep to your line but to be very uncomfortable and embarrassed about it.

For your information, monuments can be protected in loads of ways (and miles cheaper and more effectively) than by covering them with a ruddy road and they are, every day. Get yourselves a book on the subject before you presume to tell your council taxpayers you are doing what's best for their city's heritage. Oh, and while you're at it, please desist from telling them there's no tourism dividend to be obtained from the serpent, even if it's mostly buried. There is. And the longer it is found to be, the more there'll be. Do you know how long it is? 'Course you don't (or DO you? )

We suggest you adopt the following strategy towards the Serpent:

First, temporarily protect it from the weather, in accordance with normal practice. Do it now. Do it yesterday. Have you heard of a Duty of Care? Get a cover over it and dig a trench to stop floodwater going over it. Jeez. We thought you were wanting to save it. Watching it deteriorate and then saying the road would prevent that process won't wash. Only floodwater washes, see? You can stop it deteriorating NOW.

Second, commission an investigation into how far it goes and what its true nature is. How can anyone, including you and English Heritage, make decisions about something without knowing what the something is? (By the way, make sure those who are fighting for it are allowed to have their OWN consultant involved. That's called democracy, transparency, inclusivity. You know the sort of guff. We bet your documents are full of such aspirations.)

Third, when all that there is to be known is known, butt out. Leave the decision to the professionals, both in-house and further afield. And no pressure or lobbying on the quiet. A lot of eyes are now on you and the Serpent, let the Serpent be the only snakey feature in Hereford.

Readers can keep up to date with this slithery tale and let Hereford Council know what the world thinks on the Rotherwas Ribbon Campaign website http://www.rotherwasribbon.com/

Please note this article is free for reproduction in full elsewhere subject to: Credit, Heritage Action, www.heritageaction.org.

Rotherwas Ribbon must be protected and road building stop

References:

(1) Dr Keith Ray was quoted on the Today Programme as saying, in reply to the question "Who built it?" he said "...we think around 2,000BC, around the time of Stonehenge... they are building fairly major timber monuments... we've got a settlement behind here with timber framed houses basically but circular in form."
(2) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6272716.stm
(3) Local campaigners Dinedor Hill Action Association are taking Herefordshire Council to the High Court seeking to overturn a decision to use developer funding (for housing development rejected by the Planning Inspector as being a wholly inappropriate incursion into the countryside) to fund the Rotherwas Access Road, on the grounds that the road is of no benefit to the housing development.
(4) The road itself - supposedly to allow the expansion of the Rotherwas Industrial estate - has been condemned by central government and the local plan inspector as being unnecessary when sites elsewhere in Hereford remain vacant.
(5) Telephone conversation with English Heritage
(6) Nigel Swift, Chair of UK group Heritage Action, can be contacted on nigelswift@aol.com
(7) HC Sustainable Future for the County – HC Sustainability Strategy 2006-9, p.5
( 8 ) All Herefordshire Councillors, our local MP and prospective candidates, English Heritage, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are being contacted and responses will be publicised 

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