...the land has open access...they can not close footpaths or stop access.
Hi Mr H.Dunno what the situation is down your way but I know of one public footpath close to Avebury that's been closed to public access and I reckon there are peeps here who could add others in their area to the list. I might be overly suspicious but when I read of our historic/public/sacred places being fenced, closed or having a charged levied to access them, it seems like just another nail in the coffin of our civil liberties and a denial of our historic right of access (there are always exceptions to that of course and for reasons of conservation Silbury is one of them).
Like I say though, I don't know what the situation is down there, but if it ain't broke I reckon it's best not to try'n fix it.