Cursuswalker
A smaller opening into Chun Quoit chamber. The views of the countryside around are surprisingly extensive from inside.
11/8/06
The crawl opening into Chun Quoit chamber.
11/8/06
Image credit: cursuswalker
A highlighted version of the inscription on the Men Scryfa.
The full inscription reads (buried sections in brackets):
RIALOBRANI CVNOVALI(FILI)
In the dog-latin being used at the time in the area the two I’s nearest the ground are turned on their sides.
Taken 11/8/06
Image credit: cursuswalker
A detail of the inscription on the Men Scryfa.
The full inscription reads (buried sections in brackets):
RIALOBRANI CVNOVALI(FILI)
In the dog-latin being used at the time in the area the two I’s nearest the ground are turned on their sides.
Taken 11/8/06
Image credit: cursuswalker
My wife went and took more pictures for me on 28/7/06.
As I was putting them up on TMA I discovered that the CA have put the original article on this BACK on their website, including the offending picture.
Considering the fact that the damage is still visible at the Long Man I find this unbelievable.
The vandalism to the Long Man landscape is still clearly visible.
A close-up view taken 28.7.06
Image credit: Sorcha
The vandalism to the Long Man landscape is still clearly visible.
An overall view taken 28.7.06
Image credit: Sorcha
I visited the Long Man again last Friday (21/7/06). The vandalism caused, or at least supported, by the C*ntryside Alliance is still very much visible, as the quality of vegetation is different where the letters were burnt on the hillside.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures. I’ll try to get back there sometime soon.
I still have a copy of the web-page on which the CA condoned this action. They took it down originally as soon as they realised that it might not have been such a bright idea after all.
The following is copied from the Druid Network forums verbatim:
This was taken from the Odinic Rite mailing list, such a shame after all the work the Rite has put into preserving this important site.
The Ancient White Horse Stone Under Attack!
Once again the ancient White Horse Stone in the county of Kent, England and the area around it has come under attack from the mobile phone company Orange! Only two years ago Orange proposed to put a mobile phone mast and cabin next to the White Horse Stone, that application was rejected by Tonbridge and Malling council thanks to the support of many hundred of caring people, now Orange has applied for planning permission to erect an 8m high Double mobile phone mast less than 100m away from the White Horse Stone. (This time they have applied to Maidstone council as the proposed site is just on the other side of the boundary)
The White Horse Stone is an ancient monument of significant historical, archaeological and cultural importance. A sacred site to Odinist’s the world over and seen by many as the birth place of the English nation.
Unbelievably Orange’s proposed site is just 5m from the edge of Boxley Warren Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI area. It is also just 5m from the North Downs Way, a long distance national trail.
We need your support to fight this application and to protect this ancient monument, our countryside and the environment from this insidious attempt to destroy our heritage and what remains of our green and pleasant land.
Please give your support to our campaign to save the White Horse Stone and the environment around it from this deliberate attempt to destroy our Heritage, we say deliberate because Orange know very well the history of this area and how people feel about it, yet they have once again targeted this sacred site. Orange’s arrogance is clearly demonstrated as two months ago they had over 150m of underground duct work and cable installed up to the proposed site before they had even applied for planning permission. Are they hoping this will be just a rubber stamp job! We hope the Local Planning authority will treat this arrogance with the contempt that is deserves and reject this application.
Below we have given some suggested points which you could raise in your objection letters to the council. Please do not copy them word for word, individual letters have a much greater impact than mass produced objections. Please ensure your mention that this application will have a harmful effect on the environment, especially as this area has been designated as both AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
The White Horse Stone is a listed ancient monument of both historical and cultural importance.
The White Horse Stone is held in great reverence as a site of significant spiritual importance by Odinist’s and other Pagan traditions. The siting of a mobile phone mast in such close proximity would have a very negative affect on this holy site.
Archaeological evidence has clearly proved that this whole area is a site of high status and of significant historical importance to the county of Kent and England.
The siting of mobile phone equipment just 5m from the Boxley Warren Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI area would have a detrimental effect on this area by visually scarring the approach to the Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI site.
Siting of mobile phone equipment within close proximity of an AONB, SSSI, North Downs Way and Nature reserve would present an impression that these designations have no importance or integrity and can be ignored.
If this application is approved it will open the door to other mobile phone network operators to also develop this area.
The siting of mobile phone equipment on this site will have a detrimental effect on the enjoyment of the many thousands of visitors that come to this area for leisure, walking, cycling, horse riding etc.
The siting of 3G mobile equipment will have a detrimental effect on the wildlife in this area. There is concern that 3G’s more powerful signal strength could cause long term health problems. (you do not have to provide proof that there are health issues, it is merely the concern or fear caused by the mobile equipment, real or not, that interests the Local Planning Authorities)
Lastly please ensure your objections are clear, polite and to the point. Please ask your family to send a letter as well. Letters from children always carry an impact so if you have children please encourage them to send letters also.
The more letters and e-mails we send the greater the chance we have of stopping this at the first stage. Our heritage, our environment and our holy site is in danger, please send your objections to the following address. Please be sure to give your address so that may reply.
Remember your letters / e-mails must be in by the 6th June 2006.
Maidstone Borough Council
Katie Lazam. Planning Dept
13 Tonbridge Road
Maidstone
Kent, ME16 8HG
England
You may e-mail your objections, but we would prefer you to send letters if possible.
e-mail: Katie Lazam at Maidstone Council
Please give the following reference number in all your communications to the council.
Planning Application Reference: MA/06/0792/N
Silbaby from half way up the path to West Kennet Long Barrow 19/3/06. This is on digital zoom, hence slight lack of quality.
The lack of Summer cover makes its shape far clearer.
Image credit: Cursuswalker
Silbaby from the bottom of the path leading up to West Kennet Long Barrow 19/3/06.
The lack of Summer cover makes its shape far clearer.
Image credit: Cursuswalker
Mount Caburn means a lot to many people in the town of Lewes I think.
It was the nearest settlement of any size to the site that Lewes was eventually founded on by the Saxons and can be seen from much of the town.
The skyline of the hill from the town means that the ditch and bank of the fort seems to cut it off from the rest of the ridge on which it stands. The hill the fort was built upon is fairly distinctive anyway, being a dome with broad slopes sweeping down from it to the south, while it seems almost to be the head of a giant downland animal, the rest of the downland ridge that it forms part of trailing behind the hill to the north. This ridge is the only block of the South Downs that is not a part of the main ridge along which the South Downs Way runs, having been cut off from it by the Glynde Reach river, that you will see joining the river Ouse to the south west.
When you approach the fort from the north the ditch and bank are very prominent, but the part of the hill still inside the fort protrudes above it still, giving an impression of a round hat, or, one might say, a flattened Dalek’s head!
Once inside the fort one seems simply to be on a hill, as the whole ditch and bank becomes far less obvious. This is particularly true on the southern side, where the defences are far less spectacular. I have always been told this is because on this side any attacker would have had quite a climb first. I’m not entirely convinced though, as this does not take account of attackers circling from the northern side. For me, the steep hill suggests some erosion of the defences on this side, though I have no evidence for this either way.
In any case the view is very impressive for a hill that is not actually that high (150m above sea-level), particularly of the downland ridge to the south. Firle Beacon and Windover Hill, home to the Long Man of Wilmington, can also be seen to the south east.
The view to the south east from the summit of Mount Caburn. 26/2/06
In the distance is Windover Hill, home to the Long Man of Wilmington, while the ridge on the right ends at Firle Beacon, home to the Giant’s Grave.
For a hill of only 150 metres in height the view is almost 360 degrees and very impressive.
For the reverse view see here: themodernantiquarian.com/post/14626
Image credit: Cursuswalker
The west ditch of Mount Caburn from the northern entrance. 26/2/06
Image credit: Cursuswalker
The Pipers, Lammas (1st August) 2005, with a few of the locals.
Image credit: Cursuswalker
This is an 1878 map of the Long Man of Wilmington, and the surrounding area, from a website that is fascinating from an MA point of view.
They allow re-use of images under the conditions laid down here: old-maps.co.uk/terms.htm
A page from CastleUK.net, giving information on the site, though a visit is all one should need to doubt that anyone would bother building any sort of castle that could fit on the top of the site!
A comment from a fellow druid on the vandalism to the Long Man landscape.
Image credit: Chris Tinniswood
Page from the Countryside Alliance’s own website, bragging about the vandalism, including a picture of it taking place.
17/8/05 UPDATE: They seem to have removed the picture. What a shame...
2/8/06 UPDATE: It’s back again. Maybe they think the heat is off now...
5/7/07 UPDATE: And it’s gone again
Long Man vandalism overview 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)
Recovering ground at the Long Man vandalism 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)
Example of letter contrast. Long Man vandalism 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)
Detail of ground. Long Man vandalism 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)
A bush that got in the way! Long Man vandalism 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)
Scorch-mark on the Long Man vandalism 30/3/05.
Image credit: Cursuswalker (for free distribution)