West Kennet is a mess!

West Kennet Long Barrow 14

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jelliott71 Oct 1, 2001 19:21:28

Visited W Kennet Longbarrow a week ago. I was v disappinted to see chalked graffiti (pseudopagan symbols of a sort)- who does this garbage? Also, perhaps forgivable in the circumstances, someone had left a cande burning with a laminated card containing a 'prayer' for the victims of the terrorist attacks. A nice sentiment perhaps but a bit ignorant really- who is going to clean this nice little pile of candle wax up later? The person who left it there? Maybe, but I bet not. Comments?

Pete G Oct 1, 2001 19:43:41

Replying to jelliott71

Well I go up there regularly and take away loads of candle trays, rubbish etc.
The candles have burnthuge streaks in the stones.
EH & NT don't bother cleaning it at all.
There is always chalked crap on the cap stones.
Halloween coming up soon and if its like last year I will have to clean up the burnt fireworks etc.
Similar things go on at Stoney Littleton in somerset which is the finest barrow in the whole counrty. Although smaller than the Kennet every stone has fossils on and it is fabulous.
I wish someone would give me a bloody job...
Pete G

Walkswithdust Oct 1, 2001 20:24:37

Replying to jelliott71

When I visited the Tal-y-Fan area in N.Wales at the end of July nearly all the sites had pagan stuff littered around them. The small twelve stone circle had pine cones wrapped with ribbon and gold/silver tin foil. I actually didn't remove anything because I wasn't sure what the hell it all meant so left it alone. It freaked me out too much but pissed me off to see all this crap.

AHAB Oct 3, 2001 18:24:13

Replying to jelliott71

theres always a mess there, last new year we saw a mini plastic christmas tree complete with tinsell and ballballs! guess we just have to take the rubbish home ourselves.

andygreyweather Mar 3, 2005 00:12:48

Replying to jelliott71

02/03/05

West Kennet Longbarrow has become home to a colony of rats!

Visiting the longbarrow during a windy flurry of sleet, rat tracks were clearly visible in the snow running into holes above the entrance chambers. Inside, a rat hole now excavates off to the left and droppings abound!

I really love this place and I'm kind of fond of rats too ... I even looked after two pet rats for a friend a few years ago. but they defecate and urinate all over the place, with less bladder control than a Wallace Arnold coach tour. I guess the food offerings left by many visitors attracted the rats initially, yet their burrowing may well have destroyed much archaeology and in time might weaken this eroded structure even more.

As a vegetarian, I'm not exactly pro-poison when it comes to our rodent friends eviction, but the longbarrow's custodians may well feel that poison is the most economic answer to their removal and the quickest when it comes to ejecting them from the premises.

Clearly poison may well effect the field mouse and bird population, not to mention other small mamels, reptiles and indeed dogs. Initially, visitors might consider it best to leave some love within the longbarrow as opposed to more fruity offerings.

Whilst hardly a Silbury issue, anything that detracts from the stability of this wonderfully 'other worldly' place needs seriously addressing and nipping in the bud.

If anyone can suggest a way of rehousing the rats ... so much the better.

"There's a rat in me longbarrow, what am a gonna do?"

Andy, AVEBURY

third degree Mar 8, 2005 20:24:28

Replying to jelliott71

the answers simple.........place the bones back inside the barrow and seal it forever....in my humble opinion it shouldnt have been disturbed in the first place.

nigelswift Mar 8, 2005 20:49:38

Replying to jelliott71

Two possible solutions -

English Heritage to send Kester the Jester up there with a flute and he can lead them all away

or, we'll deploy the Heritage Action cat.

nigelswift Mar 9, 2005 08:45:02

Replying to jelliott71

Actually, Kennet District Council offers an excellent service for eradicating rats from domestic properties for just £36.

Is it a domestic property? For sure, since many use it as such on a temporary basis, and NT has no notice up prohibiting such use. I'd say it has the legal status of a holiday cottage provided for general use by NT.

As such, any current tenant could get the council out to it and ask them to invoice the landlord.