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Scrub clearance on Scheduled monuments

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moss M
moss Feb 28, 2012 08:50:49
Replying to Rebsie

Rebsie wrote:
But - my concerns are that the work is being carried out with spectacular lack of sensitivity. The pictures taken by Credashill show some of the damage done by use of heavy equipment on the site, with areas of the fort churned up and rutted with tyre-tracks. Secondly, the area of clearance seems to have gone way outside the bounds of what had been planned, and many of the trees that have been felled were nowhere near the ramparts. While I'm reluctantly prepared to accept that the long-term future of the hillfort may be best served by not having trees on it, I'm alarmed that "conservation" involves chuntering over the site in a big tractor and lighting fires.

.

When I highlighted this news it was because of the second photo on your blog which showed such devastation and indifference to the natural world. I think the spiritual shock of seeing a once beautiful place destroyed (for its own good) it hurts.

But there is always good news as well, maybe give it a few years and it will regenerate. Anyway it made me look back at the old wood near us which is also managed by the National Trust, and which I photographically record each year for its marvellous show of bluebells. The NT also cleared a glade in this wood, BUT only kept the heavy machinery to the one track that went through, many of the cut trees stumps are left a couple of feet high with coppicing regenerating round the base. The great logs are stacked and brushwood is left in great heaps (proper conservation techniques surely).

As for trees left on longbarrows, I am going to be a heretic here, in 4000 years there must have been a lot of scrub and trees that have grown over this period, so it is not really a new issue. Compare EKLB with the Beckhampton long barrow which was shaved of its cover and looked like a great plucked goose last time I saw it. EKLB is, if anything, protected by the trees.

Edit.....
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yRv78EkvmOM/SgaHtPZYuUI/AAAAAAAAC1g/cGF4Kw50MVU/s1600-h/DSC04141.JPG

S Sanctuary
Sanctuary Feb 28, 2012 09:49:17
Replying to moss

moss wrote:
Rebsie wrote:
But - my concerns are that the work is being carried out with spectacular lack of sensitivity. The pictures taken by Credashill show some of the damage done by use of heavy equipment on the site, with areas of the fort churned up and rutted with tyre-tracks. Secondly, the area of clearance seems to have gone way outside the bounds of what had been planned, and many of the trees that have been felled were nowhere near the ramparts. While I'm reluctantly prepared to accept that the long-term future of the hillfort may be best served by not having trees on it, I'm alarmed that "conservation" involves chuntering over the site in a big tractor and lighting fires.

.

When I highlighted this news it was because of the second photo on your blog which showed such devastation and indifference to the natural world. I think the spiritual shock of seeing a once beautiful place destroyed (for its own good) it hurts.

But there is always good news as well, maybe give it a few years and it will regenerate. Anyway it made me look back at the old wood near us which is also managed by the National Trust, and which I photographically record each year for its marvellous show of bluebells. The NT also cleared a glade in this wood, BUT only kept the heavy machinery to the one track that went through, many of the cut trees stumps are left a couple of feet high with coppicing regenerating round the base. The great logs are stacked and brushwood is left in great heaps (proper conservation techniques surely).

As for trees left on longbarrows, I am going to be a heretic here, in 4000 years there must have been a lot of scrub and trees that have grown over this period, so it is not really a new issue. Compare EKLB with the Beckhampton long barrow which was shaved of its cover and looked like a great plucked goose last time I saw it. EKLB is, if anything, protected by the trees.

Edit.....
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yRv78EkvmOM/SgaHtPZYuUI/AAAAAAAAC1g/cGF4Kw50MVU/s1600-h/DSC04141.JPG

But what does the EKLB look like inside now I wonder Moss?

T thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 28, 2012 19:58:35
Replying to moss

moss wrote:
But there is always good news as well, maybe give it a few years and it will regenerate. Anyway it made me look back at the old wood near us which is also managed by the National Trust, and which I photographically record each year for its marvellous show of bluebells. The NT also cleared a glade in this wood, BUT only kept the heavy machinery to the one track that went through, many of the cut trees stumps are left a couple of feet high with coppicing regenerating round the base. The great logs are stacked and brushwood is left in great heaps (proper conservation techniques surely).
Hopefully so Moss. The visit to Wapley on the weekend demonstrated to me that preservation of a hillfort and maintaining a woodland wildlife haven need not be mutually exclusive. I do agree with Rebsie that the methods at Midsummer appear to be heavy-handed, but hopefully scars left by the tractors will heal.

(Rebsie, Wapley is fairly close to you, I heartily recommend a visit)

moss wrote:
As for trees left on longbarrows, I am going to be a heretic here, in 4000 years there must have been a lot of scrub and trees that have grown over this period, so it is not really a new issue. Compare EKLB with the Beckhampton long barrow which was shaved of its cover and looked like a great plucked goose last time I saw it. EKLB is, if anything, protected by the trees.
As I said in reply to Johnnyj above, the possible damage to a longbarrow from careless clearance is a higher risk and again Rebsie is no doubt correct that the trees on barrows like Crippets near us have probably saved them from the plough. The case for clearing such a site of trees would have to be much stronger if it were to justify the potential damage.

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