Perhaps the answer might be "no" where there are good reasons of preservation or perhaps privacy (if the site is in someone's garden, for example), that might be compromised by allowing access. But how often would that be?

If people don't go to see the non-state maintained sites, the obscure sites, the unprotected ones off the beaten track, they will disappear.

[quote="moss

I would also pose the question do we have a right to demand to see every prehistoric monument - just because it happens to be there?[/quote]

Well I'll answer my own question; it suddenly struck me looking at the Countryside Code, that in pursuit of stones we often have to go across farmland to seek out stones, barrows, etc. Sometimes arable but often fields with animals in, and the farmer has every 'right' to demand of us that we don't frighten cattle, sheep, etc and cause an accident, we don't leave gates open, and we don't scrabble under barbed wire thereby makin it loose. After all this is his livelihood.

He has a 'duty of care' to his land, a set of restrictions, as we all do, that is what I was getting at, its a contractual understanding, if we want freedom of access to stones on farm land we should be prepared to abide by the rules!

And yes I do know about those large horned creatures up on Penwith Moors but I have a feeling they won't last long up there - they are the wrong breed, Dexters would have been better...