nearly destroyed site - what do I do? | Forum

Carn Tulach 1

Image by BigSweetie

nearly destroyed site — what do I do?

BigSweetie Jan 11, 2004 12:07:24

Carn Tulach was a large mound when Fred Coles visited in 1910, and once had a stone circle on top of it, although only one stone remained standing by the time he got there. The mound has yielded cists and a stone axe.

When the RCAHMS went there in 1975, the stone was still standing, but the mound had been quarried away to within 2m of it. I visited this site just after Christmas, and it appears to have been quarried even closer, and the stone has now fallen and is half-buried (see photos - http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/5062).

I'm going to send a report to the RCAHMS, but is there anyone else I should contact? The stone is on the edge of a commercial tip - would it be worth contacting the company that owns the tip, or is there a risk that could do more harm than good?

Cheers
Andy

VenerableBottyBurp Jan 11, 2004 14:16:03

Replying to BigSweetie

I am not intimate with this site and I do not want to hijack your main question, but I do think you have raised a fundamental point.

Transplanting this scenario in short - we have all heard of those buildings that have mysteriously caught fire when they were about to be scheduled or 'saved'. Urban myth or not, the warning is obvious for more ancient places.

Personally I think informing the Royal Com was a good move but then you have to ask for future reference whether it is a good idea to then advertise the fact that you have spotted a site in trouble before someone officially gets to grips with recording it and serving notice on whoever.

This is tricky stuff and HA are gonna have to do some serious thinking tactic wise.

As for this site if you own a digital camera record as much as possible from any angle possible - and be prepared to tell anyone who spots you something along the lines that an ancient relative that emigrated to Australia in the 1960s was born in a cottage on the site and you have been asked to send some e-mail snaps.

VBB

BlueGloves Jan 11, 2004 14:58:32

Replying to BigSweetie

It looks from the pictures to be more or less destroyed. The first port of call with this stuff is usually the County Archaeology Unit. Will that be in Glasgow ?

Punching through to MultiMap, from the site page, shows - if the map reference is correct - that either the site has not been designated Ancient Monument or that the O.S. have missed it.

Grendel Jan 11, 2004 19:04:01

Replying to BigSweetie

The rules on things like this vary between England, Wales and Scotland so us English have to be careful not to give bum advice.

Is the tip legal? Might be worth checking the pollution inventory on the Scottsih Environmental Protection Agency's website (http://www.sepa.org.uk/). Unfortunately you'll need the postcode of the site (or somewhere near!) to able to get info on the tip. I know how the English equivalent works but not SEPA's.

If the tip isn't in the inventory is doesn't necessarily mean it's illegal as there are exemptions from the law. might be worth checking with the planners - I would be surprised if there was a planning condition that said "trash the stone circle" - but hey funnier things have happened.

Hope this helps in some way.

Cheers

BigSweetie Jan 28, 2004 18:18:07

Replying to BigSweetie

got an e-mail back today from the Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments and basically it said that because the stone wasn't scheduled, there was nothing they could do to stop its destruction, and because it's almost destroyed, they can't schedule it!

Cheers
Andy

The Megalithic sites of Perthshire:
http://www.andysweet.co.uk/stones/