Destruction at Priddy Henges

http://www.peteglastonbury.plus.com/Priddy.jpg
Bottom Henge in the photo.

Rumours are circulating in Priddy that the new landowner at Harptree Lodge (formerly the HQ of the Mendip Hunt) has been levelling land to the east of the house and has bulldozed one of the Bronze Age Priddy Circles, using the material to fill in nearby depressions.

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Fears-circle-obliterated/story-12782536-detail/story.html

yet to be confirmed by EH but it's not looking good from what I'm hearing on the ground from locals.
PeteG

PeteG wrote:...Rumours are circulating in Priddy that the new landowner at Harptree Lodge (formerly the HQ of the Mendip Hunt) has been levelling land to the east of the house and has bulldozed one of the Bronze Age Priddy Circles, using the material to fill in nearby depressions.

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Fears-circle-obliterated/story-12782536-detail/story.html

yet to be confirmed by EH but it's not looking good from what I'm hearing on the ground from locals.
PeteG

Hmmmm....not good if the dippy bastard's done what's being alleged. But, if the idiot's dug it up, let's hope they thrown the book at him.

most of the southern circle has been confirmed as being obliterated with a bulldozer.

PeteG wrote:most of the southern circle has been confirmed as being obliterated with a bulldozer.

What a complete & utter knobhead! I assume that the fella who's done this is retarded? - or is gonna try using that as his defence? I'll be intrigued to hear what the powers-that-be are gonna do to this imbecile. And if they do nothing, we should openly encourage everyone on as many forums as possible to call for the heads of English Heritage, or whoever it is that's supposed to protect our monuments against such fuckwits.

...I can already feel the poor fella whinging his way round some excuses...

"I didn't do it on purpose..." with the quite echo of "and I am rich" lilting into the ears of those who err on the side of finance...

This is awful news Pete.

Dial a ddaw,
Y mae gerilaw.
That bloke who destroyed the Stanbury circle, passed over I hear.
Fun journey that will have been, meeting up with the old builders, and their little pets.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-13932661

this one shows the damage
http://www.wellspeople.co.uk/Damage-important-ancient-site-investigated/story-12820912-detail/story.html

Pete

PeteG wrote:this one shows the damage
http://www.wellspeople.co.uk/Damage-important-ancient-site-investigated/story-12820912-detail/story.html

Bloody hell Pete - that's bad. It'll be intriguing to see what happens to the fella responsible. They should really throw the book at him for doing this. I note already the attempt to encourage us to believe (being the operative notion), "One problem is many prehistoric sites are in private ownership and often landowners do not realise exactly what they have on their land" - which has to be bollox! As if the material aint on the deeds, or the fella was utterly unaware of such things.

At the moment, we're getting regional archaeologist Gavin Edwards whinging about us lot dusting off bits of soil to look at one of the circles we've recently discovered in an attempt to see a bit more of what's been found, actually making threats of legal action if we're found doing anything to a site they didn't even know about, instead of words of encouragement and excitement at the new finds. Meanwhile, EH are making cautious sound-bites about an idiot who's half-destroyed an internationally important henge; and the diggers are creeping ever-closer to the Thornborough Henges, as 'business' pays off EH to lay off. Effing appalling double standards all round. It seems like there are dickheads on both sides of the archaeological fence!

Keep us informed about the plight of this poor land-owner who accidentally fuctup the henge.

All the best - Paul

one of the problems is that monuments are not on deeds to lands. Deeds often being a lot older than the recording of a monument.
Another prob is that EH have had to sack 35% of its staff and take huge funding cuts imposed by these evil tory bastards.

I can't say much publicly as EH are still investigating....

Paul,
I've sent you a copy of the latest excavation report at Priddy by Jodie Lewis and David Mullin.
If I get good photos of the damage from the air tomorrow I'll send you some copies,
Pete

PeteG wrote:Paul,
I've sent you a copy of the latest excavation report at Priddy by Jodie Lewis and David Mullin.
If I get good photos of the damage from the air tomorrow I'll send you some copies,
Pete

Cheers for them Pete. Some very good images indeed! Am I able to use 'em on here, or the TNA in a profile of the site?

Cheers - Paul

I thought you'd like to do a TNA profile on Priddy.
Cheers,
Pete

Okey-dokey sir! It will be done! I'll send you a copy of the profile before publication.

Cheers - Paul

http://www.wellspeople.co.uk/pictures

there a couple of photos of the damage here,
Pete

http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/07/2011/neolithic-monument-bulldozed-flat-in-england-provokes-outrage

more details and who to email about it
PeteG

Its an outrage what that man has done, he must have known that it was an ancient monument. He make take the consequenses of what he's done. I have no sympathy whatsoever with him.

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/protectukheritage

there is now a petition for all you good people to sign.
Please take 30 seconds to add your name,
thanks,
PeteG

PeteG wrote:http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/protectukheritage

there is now a petition for all you good people to sign.
Please take 30 seconds to add your name.

Done! Should we add this to MegPortal Pete? Do you wanna do it or should I?

Hi Pete, have done the petition and put it onto Facebook.

thanks guys. I've checked through the names so far and noticed no HArseholes have signed it. I guess they got their photos for their blogette and a little publicity and have now got better things to do now.

Hi Pete - I have signed the petition too.
I am also considering taking this a bit further myself. There are quite a few too many sites now being destroyed that should have be 'overseen' in this country by English Heritage and by Natural England. They seem to be making up their own National Heritage Act as they go along.

They can't keep turning a blind eye to the destruction of these National sites of great importance.
Would they turn the other cheek if it was a listed building structure? Westmister or a Bank? No, they would not.
Get the person that did this and . The others in authority that stood by & watched this happen should be sacked.

Mikki

according to the facebook page Natural England and EH are actualy considering paying the bloke who did the damage to put it right!

PeteG wrote:according to the facebook page Natural England and EH are actualy considering paying the bloke who did the damage to put it right!

They must have a guilty conscience for not protecting them in the first place. Unbelievable.

Hope you're all doing OK down there

Mikki xx

Hi Pete -

PeteG wrote:according to the facebook page Natural England and EH are actualy considering paying the bloke who did the damage to put it right!

Why am I not in the slightest bit surprised...? We're having some dealings with Natural England up here at the moment. So far they've been helpful. Let's hope it continues...

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/NewsDetails.aspx?nsid=24508&t=1&lid=4

Nicked!