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From The Architects’ Journal:

English Heritage (EH) has confirmed it is looking at resuscitating previous visitor-centre proposals following the recent demise of Denton Corker Marshall’s (DCM) £67 million scheme.

A spokeswoman for EH told the AJ: ‘We are looking at all the old schemes and a [Cullinan] scheme is a possibility.

She added: ‘We have to move fast and we are looking at what we already have.‘

Robin Nicholson, practice director at Edward Cullinan Architects, said: ‘As soon as the other scheme (DCM) began to move into the sand we wrote to EH saying to them that there was no doubt that Larkhill is the best site – whoever does it.

‘The site is 1km north of the stones and the great thing is that you can see Stonehenge from the roof of the building but you can’t see the building from the stones.

EH wants the centre to be up and running by 2012 to cater for the expected invasion of tourists arriving on the back of the London Olympics. EH will have ‘critical meetings in late January and February’ with stakeholders and representatives from UNESCO.

The full article

“ENGLISH Heritage will not stop the Rotherwas access road being built, the Hereford Times can reveal.

Advisors from English Heritage have decided they are happy with Herefordshire Council’s plans to continue building the road over the archaeological discovery, termed the Rotherwas Ribbon, which dates back to the same period as Stonehenge.

Scientific advisors from the organisation have recommended that the engineering solution proposed by the council will provide long-term protection for the archaeological find.

Work to preserve the Ribbon under layers of protective membranes and sand has already begun and further work can now be carried out.

English Heritage is also considering financial support for further archaeological excavations outside of the road corridor to enable the Ribbon’s history to be more fully understood.

Despite the advice from English Heritage, councillors still have to consider a range of options to discuss how the Bronze Age monument can be best safeguarded for future generations.

These include abandoning the road, which the council says would cost £6 million, building a bridge at the cost of £10 million, or creating a £110 million tunnel underneath the Ribbon.

If any of these options are approved council officers are warning that the county faces serious financial challenges and other important projects would be halted.

Instead, officers are recommending that the building of the road continues, at a cost of £400,000, and that the existing find is protected, in line with archaeological best practice.

Additionally, the presumed course of the Ribbon, both north and south of the access road, should be investigated to ensure opportunities for tourism, heritage and education are explored.

The council stopped work on the road around the site of the Ribbon earlier this year when the significance of the find was established.

Plans to protect it were initially put on hold after public demands to see it – around 1,000 people were given escorted tours during July.”

From the Hereford Times

“A landowner, one of his tenants and a local trader were ordered to pay £15,065 in fines and costs for illegally dumping huge amounts of waste on land designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

In March 2006, the Environment Agency became aware that a significant amount of waste was dumped on land at an ancient hillfort at Tunley, three miles south west of Bath.

This is close to Tunley Farm, where the farm buildings have been converted to business units, owned by Stephen Jones, who visits weekly from Wales to collect rent from the traders.

The waste consisted of construction and demolition waste including concrete, tarmac, bricks, blocks, subsoil, metal, fluorescent light tubes, electrical cable, asbestos sheets. Environment Officers also found larger items like an electric cooker, a metal three drawer filing cabinet and a wooden staircase.

A scheduled ancient monument is a nationally important site, given legal protection by inclusion on a list. Appropriate management is therefore essential to ensure that they survive in good condition.”

Environment Agency news

“It might not have the instant impact of modern graffiti but a mammoth carved on to a wall in Cheddar Caves 13,000 years ago is being hailed as one of the most significant examples of prehistoric art ever found in Britain.

The carving – a little larger than a man’s hand, is only the second piece of representational cave art found in Britain, and contemporary with the golden age of cave art in Europe.

Britain had a flourishing Stone Age culture but, unlike prehistoric sites in France and Spain, no cave paintings or carvings had been found until recently, when the discovery of Stone Age carvings of animals and humans at Creswell Crags, near Sheffield, launched a new hunt for prehistoric cave art.

Graham Mullan and Linda Wilson, of Bristol University, have spent several years minutely examining various Cheddar Caves for almost imperceptible carvings, using sophisticated new lighting techniques.

So far they have uncovered geometrical carvings in Long Hole, and the 13,000-year-old mammoth in Gough’s Cave. Experts believe the carving, in an isolated niche, may have been used by tribal shamans in religious rituals.

It lies beyond the main living area of the Stone Age tribe who inhabited the cave.

It takes an expert eye to see the carving which has just gone on show to the public. The creature’s huge tusks are the clearest feature.

Cheddar Caves director Hugh Cornwell said: “We’ve got to hand it to Graham and Linda.

“They looked closely at rock faces which had only been glanced at by previous archaeologists, and have come up with some very exciting finds.

“Gough’s Cave has always been one of Britain’s most important prehistoric sites, and inhabited for more than 1,000 years by our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

“The country’s first evidence of cannibalism was found here, and also Britain’s oldest complete skeleton, Cheddar Man.

“The mammoth carving was found just beyond the daylight zone, where our ancestors ate and slept.

“It may have been a secret inner chamber, only used by shamans to invoke their animal gods. Now, thanks to special lighting and a small display, all our customers can walk in and admire our mammoth. He’s a lovely little chap – a wonderfully spirited carving with enormous tusks.”

Speaking from his home in Bristol Mr Mullan said: “This is certainly a significant find. Before the discovery of the Creswell Crags carvings, I was one of the people who argued that there was nothing of the kind in this country at all.

“This shows that the people of Cheddar were doing the same sort of thing as their contemporaries in France.

“Some people are even suggesting that the work at Cheddar is so similar to that at Creswell Crags that it must have been carried out by the same people.”

The carvings pre-date the famous Cheddar Man skeleton by 4,000 years. Caves spokesman Bob Smart, said: “The mammoth dates from the golden age of cave art in Europe, but by the time of Cheddar Man, who died 9,000 years ago, it seems they had moved on to other forms of art and religion.”

Visitors enthused by the spirit of their ancestors can study the mammoth and then walk across the road to try their own hand at cave art in the Cheddar Caves Museum of Prehistory, built in the house formerly owned by Richard Gough, the Victorian who rediscovered Gough’s Cave.”

From the Western Daily Press:
westerndailypress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=146238&command=displayContent&sourceNode=146064&contentPK=18105499&folderPk=100268&pNodeId=145795

Unearthing hidden treasures at Ormaig

“An open day was held at the Ormaig rock art site looking over Loch Craignish on Saturday to display the work of the recent excavation project. The project is a joint effort with the Forestry Commission and Kilmartin House Museum with Dr Andy Jones from the Archaology department at the University of Southampton casting his expert eye on proceedings.
The Forestry Commission are felling the trees around the site next year so the project is trying to discover the extent of the site to ensure it is preserved properly in the future and not damaged in the process of felling.
The excavation so far has found some hammer stones which might have been used for making tools rather than as tools themselves. It has also uncovered some more cup and ring marks typical of the area.
Dr Jones said:’We have found a lot of new motifs and hammer stones inserted into cracks and fissures on the rocks. There’s a good chance we’ll find more. Whenever we work on a project with rock art we usually find something else.’ ”

Argyllshire Advertiser, 20 July 2007

“Years of campaigning are finally over for protestors at Stanton Moor as a deal to save the site from quarrying has been approved.”

Matlock Mercury article.

From BBC News:

Archaeologists have published findings of an important Bronze Age settlement at Manchester Airport.

The dig, which was part of the multi-million pound development of Runway 2, uncovered Early Bronze Age artefacts at Oversley Farm in Styal.

The finds – which include flint arrowheads, pottery and tools – will go on display at Chester Museum.

Experts at the dig said they had made a ‘significant discovery’ about pre-historic life in Cheshire.

The site is the first excavated example of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age life in the county and the details have been published in a report by archaeologist Dan Garner.

Pottery pieces
The artefacts were discovered during runway redevelopment works

Speaking about the finds, Mr Garner said: “The building of the second runway at Manchester Airport created a unique opportunity to excavate a 3km long corridor.

“We made some exciting finds such as Bronze Age pottery, a tanged flint arrowhead and other tools and, of course, the footprint of the farmstead.

“We were very pleased to discover a prehistoric site of regional significance.”

The artefacts have been radiocarbon dated to confirm their authenticity.

Manchester Airport supported the archaeological investigations as part of a £17m package of environmental works.

The report is available from British Archaeological Reports (B.A.R).

National Trust press release:

The National Trust is advising people wishing to come to Avebury for Summer Solstice this year to arrive by public transport. In order to comply with an Enforcement Notice served on the Trust by Kennet District Council, the Trust regrets that it will be unable to open its Avebury visitor car park for Summer Solstice this year as an overnight site for campervans, motorhomes or caravans.

The Enforcement Notice, which came into force on 1 January this year, obliges the Trust to stop tolerating the occupation of the car park for overnight stays at pagan observances. In order to comply with the enforcement notice the Trust has had no choice but to apply for planning permission to install a height barrier at the car park, which will prevent the entrance of caravans and motorhomes, which are specifically cited in the Enforcement Notice.

The height barrier will prevent all high-sided vehicles from entering the car park, irrespective of their use, as the Trust cannot and would not discriminate against one group of people at one particular time of year.

Brendan McCarthy, Regional Director for the National Trust commented: “While we deeply regret having to take this decision, it is the only way that we can comply with the terms of the notice. Unfortunately, there is no suitable alternative site for overnight camping this year, so we are advising people not to travel to Avebury with camper vans, motorhomes or caravans for this solstice and, due to the limited nature of car parking, to consider coming on public transport.”

“We are committed to ensuring access to Avebury for those who wish to worship at Solstice and other important times of year. We are endeavouring to remedy the camping and parking facilities for future years.”

There will be a very limited number of car parking spaces available at a charge (for vehicles under 2.1 m high) on the evening of Solstice itself, Wednesday 20 June. There will be no additional car parking for people arriving in the days before and after Solstice evening itself.

For the past ten years, until January 2007, the Trust, with the knowledge of the local planning authority, has allowed the pagan community to park their motorhomes and vans in the car park at pagan observances to alleviate the potential knock on effect of camping elsewhere in the village or within the World Heritage Site.

The National Trust is still working towards a medium-term solution to parking and camping at Avebury. The National Trust has presented its options appraisal, which includes nine potential sites identified by the Trust, to Kennet District Council with regard to the future of car parking and overnight stays during pagan observances at Avebury. The appraisal will form the basis of an ongoing consultation process with stakeholders on how best to work towards a consensual and sustainable solution to these twin issues.

Any solution needs to balance the interests of Avebury’s disparate groups as well as protect the archaeology of the World Heritage Site, minimise disruption to the village, ensure access for worship for the pagan community and conform with police concerns over traffic flows.

In the long term, the National Trust remains committed to removing vehicles from within the World Heritage Site.

Update from the Western Daily Press:

‘WARLIKE PAGANS’ UP IN ARMS AT CAR CRACKDOWN

The National Trust has called on solstice-goers to stay away from the West’s biggest stone circle this summer because of an ongoing row with council chiefs.But the new stance at Avebury in Wiltshire has sparked anger among “radical” pagan groups, and some have warned trouble could be in store for this June’s event.

National Trust chiefs say they have to abide by tough new planning regulations from council chiefs which effectively end the free-for-all in the village at solstice time.

For years local residents have complained of disruption, all-night parties, noise, anti-social behaviour, traffic and parking problems in the days either side of the important midsummer festival.

And, even though Stonehenge has been opened for the solstice night for more than five years, the popularity of Avebury has mushroomed in recent years.

Village opposition and council action has focused on the National Trust-owned car park on the edge of the village, which becomes an unofficial campsite and traveller camp for a week around the solstice. The trust has been forced to ban campervans and will probably have to ban tents too. Those new rules, and tough police action over parking, mean that it will be difficult for people to park anywhere in Avebury. So yesterday, they sent out a stark message for the first time – go by bus or do not go at all.

Trust regional director Brendan McCarthy said: “We know we can’t put a fence around Avebury or restrict access to it, but clearly the current situation can’t continue.

He said: “There are bound to be people who will come regardless, but we want the message to go out there that this car park fills up quickly, they won’t be able to stay here or park anywhere else.

“Our hands are tied by the council’s actions but we recognise the knock-on effect the solstice has on the residents here. The simple message is we’d rather thousands of people didn’t come but if they do they should come by bus,” he added.

Druid Terry Dobney, Avebury’s keeper of the stones, said radical pagans were far from happy with the move.

He said: “People decide to come for the solstice often at the last minute and I feel sorry for the spontaneous people who will find it very difficult.”

Resident and district councillor Gretchen Rawlings said: “Everyone is very concerned about what will happen at solstice time and I don’t know what the solution is. Nothing will stop people coming and it has to be properly managed.”

All sides in the dispute are now working on setting up a park-and-ride scheme for the event, and investigating a long-term solution for the years to come.

“English Heritage today welcomed the Government’s decision to grant planning permission for new visitor facilities at Stonehenge.”

Full story:
Wiltshire Times
English Heritage