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tjj T
tjj Jan 18, 2008 19:09:11
Replying to tjj

During the rather emotional discussion before Christmas about plastic bags in Silbury, I chipped in by offering to write some letters. Whilst I subsequently realised that this was not welcome, I like to follow through what I start and am therefore reproducing the reply I received from English Heritage today.

Quote:
Re: Conservation Works at Silbury Hill

Thank you for your letter dated 31st December 2007 and your encouraging words about the works.

You asked about the choice of material for the bags and I am advised by our Head of Environmental Studies as follows:

"Natural bags would have introduced fresh biological material into the tunnel which would be subject to decay by biological organisms. The timber parts of the Atkinson's tunnel, such as the wooden parts of the tunnel rings have decayed and what appear to (be) fungal mycorrhizae from the decayed wood have been found in some of the looser ajacent deposits. We wish to avoid providing a new food source for this fungus or introducing new fungi or micro-organisms as far as possible and therefore decided to use polypropylene bags which are relatively inert"

Yours sincerely

Rob Harding
Project Manager
End Quote

june (tjj)

N nigelswift
nigelswift Jan 18, 2008 20:54:36
Replying to tjj

!!!

M moss
moss Jan 19, 2008 09:57:29
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
Quote:
Re: Conservation Works at Silbury Hill

Thank you for your letter dated 31st December 2007 and your encouraging words about the works.

You asked about the choice of material for the bags and I am advised by our Head of Environmental Studies as follows:

"Natural bags would have introduced fresh biological material into the tunnel which would be subject to decay by biological organisms. The timber parts of the Atkinson's tunnel, such as the wooden parts of the tunnel rings have decayed and what appear to (be) fungal mycorrhizae from the decayed wood have been found in some of the looser ajacent deposits. We wish to avoid providing a new food source for this fungus or introducing new fungi or micro-organisms as far as possible and therefore decided to use polypropylene bags which are relatively inert"

Yours sincerely

Rob Harding
Project Manager
End Quote

june (tjj)

An interesting reply June, but sadly it would surely have been better to use chalk blocks (natural) inside Silbury rather than artificial materials however 'inert' they are.
I expect it may seem ridiculous to you that HA has fought for so long over Silbury, step by step we have queried the methods used, not always to prove that we are right and that EH are wrong but in a strong belief that Silbury deserves to have the best treatment possible as to its final healing and closure.