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Re: Save Sighthill Stone Circle
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I really do sympathise with you on this (having taken so much time and effort getting the project off the ground in the first place). I do disagree with you however when you say, “Graffiti is not a problem because the site is so exposed that it quickly weathers off. The Ancient Monuments Commission recommended against cleaning the stones because it’s better to let them build up a natural patina.” That certainly was not the case at Avebury some years ago when this occurred and conservators from Bristol University took several months removing the graffiti from the stones in question.

Firstly, it really does depend on the type of paint (or other graphic materials used) whether or not it ‘quickly weathers off’. If it’s chalk then it’ll soon wash away. If it is an aerosol car spray then you have a very tough medium to contend with. Meanwhile, the paint might actually be inhibiting the build up of ‘natural patina’ (by that I assume the AMC mean lichen). All that pales into insignificance however because this site seems to be a classic example of the ‘broken window’ syndrome – ie things tick along nicely, even in neglected areas, until the first window in an unoccupied property gets smashed and then the snowball effect kicks in – ie before long all the windows are smashed.

The choice seems to be a bit of a stark one – either save the circle or loose both it and the site. As with Seahenge (and it’s not perfect) I’d opt for the former.


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Littlestone
Posted by Littlestone
7th January 2013ce
20:58

In reply to:

Re: Save Sighthill Stone Circle (Duncan Lunan)

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