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"Countrytracks" climbs Silbury with Jim Leary ​….

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Jan 24, 2012 09:36:42
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01b9bq5/Country_Tracks_Wiltshire/

A friend emailed me to say Countrytracks on Sunday morning was set exclusively in Wiltshire. The first item has the presenter Helen Skelton climbing Silbury with Jim Leary (special permission granted).

Next, Tom Fort visits Stonehenge, much about the A303 plus a some black and white footage of the re-erection of stones in the 1950s - 23 stones were re-erected. I for one didn't realise it was that many. Tom Fort makes the point that this would probably not be acceptable today.

Filmed last summer so this may be a repeat. If it is, certainly worth seeing again.

Hi June,
I found it interesting that JL now sees the Swallowhead Springs and the R.Kennet as the reason Silbury was built there. I don't recall reading that in his book you were kind enough to loan me, did I miss it? Someone else had the temerity to suggest that also didn't they!! :-)

T tjj
tjj Jan 24, 2012 11:27:42
Replying to Sanctuary

Thanks VBB for your informed post .. I have just had a quick look in Rosemary Hill's very readable book on Stonehenge and there are some reproductions of pre (and early) 20th century images:

"Turner's watercolour view, engraved by Robert Wallis,1829. The shepherd lies dead in the storm, the sheep abandoned. For the Romatics the stones were predominantly a place of psychic dread and terror" This image shows a ruined Stonehenge. (Chapter 4)

There is also a photograph of about 1896 showing the fallen western trilithon and the timber supports propping the leaning stones.

Roy, am glad you enjoyed the Silbury bit. Jim Leary certainly mentioned the Winterbourne/Kennet rivers and Swallowhead Spring as being a source of the Thames in the talk he gave prior to the book being published. The Thames of course has more than one source - the highest being in Gloucestershire. Its a another theory and as good as any ... I like it.

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