Sheepbury Hill

Silbury Hill 180

Image by photobabe

Pete G Nov 17, 2004 23:07:47

I've heard that EH are considering letting sheep onto Silbury hill to keep the grass down.
This mindnumbing idea has the side effect that any stay sheep that fall into any moving voids and will fill the holes!
I suppose that spiffy new rabbit spoof fence with the traps that don't work will have to be modified.
PeteG
Of course the alternative to sheep is to let the...(oooIH! Shut the Fack Up or I'll kick yer Fackun ed in!!...)

fitzcoraldo Nov 18, 2004 01:22:44

Replying to Pete G

We'll send you down a wagon load of Yorkshire fighting sheep Pete. A few randy swaledales orta keep the freaks off the hill.
I'm reluctant to let loose the goats tho'...they'll definitely keep the buggers off the hill....but the hill won't be much to look at once they've finished.

Current working theory - Goats, The Great Levellers!
Goats built Thornbro' ...the circumference of each henge is 2X the radius of a late neolithic goats tether.

Voddie eh...don'tcha love it!

nigelswift Nov 18, 2004 01:28:57

Replying to Pete G

There's a lot of scrub been allowed to develop, and that simply needs cutting. Time for a scrub cutting committee to be formed.

The rich ecology is because the soil is so impoverished. Traditionally, farmers grazed sheep on hills by day and brought them down to the lowlands at night, where their dung enriched the soil. Leaving them all the time will tend to over-enrich the soil and destroy the ecological balance. (Unless there's very few, in which case they won't keep the grass down).

Sounds like an experimental solution, adopted too late. Now where has that been adopted before?

goffik Nov 18, 2004 07:10:56

Replying to Pete G

At least short vegetation will expose just how bad all the damage is...

Didn't someone used to burn the hill to keep it clear?

Now THAT would make an impressive christmas pudding! Enormous sprig of holly on the top...

G x

StoneLifter Nov 18, 2004 10:07:40

Replying to Pete G

There's actions starting at three World Heritage Sites to attempt to make the host governments conform to the Kyoto protocols arguing that environmental damage is occurring - due to climate change. They seem irretrievably lost. Avebury also appears enormously dry in several images I've studied - those summer droughts may be increasing in the medium term.

Perhaps, Pete, you could take a picture looking down the stone row (Z-stones) over the top of ii or iii, please. I've noticed that the tops of these stones are arranged roughly into a notch (or backsight) shape. I wonder if there's a clear run all the way through - 129 seems to have half-lozenge rebate in the correct place. Everyone seems to take a slantendicular approach to the Z-feature ! ( http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/19882 )