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Rotherwas Ribbon

The Rotherwas serpent

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tomwatts T
tomwatts Jul 15, 2007 10:49:27
Replying to moss

Why does it have to be covered up?

The surface is very fragile. Even its exposure within the road corridor over the past three weeks or so has led to some surface erosion. Even if it were not in the midst of a road building programme, unless it was possible to begin building a protective structure over it ‘tomorrow’, it would have to be covered over to protect it. Even with a project to create a full building over it, the nature of the structure would/will present huge problems for conservation and future management if open to display.
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How did it manage to survive 4000 years, and be so delicate that even exposure to the elements for three weeks is damaging it?

N nigelswift
nigelswift Jul 15, 2007 11:02:22
Replying to tomwatts

It is fragile and does need covering. Rivulets of rainwater are starting to wash it away. I think it would be a tactical error to deny that, since if it was a straight choice between leave it exposed and cover it with a road then the latter would definitely be best and the nasties would love that. Indeed, they're seeking to present it as that.

But of course, there are other options - exposing parts of it under protective glass and placing markers to show the route of the rest of it for instance. I think the conservation lobby should be explaining the benefits of those sorts of options to the public so that they thoroughly understand that the official line that "building the road over it will save it" is shown for the agenda-based baloney it really is every time its uttered.