Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

Avebury to me is like no other prehistorical monument. It encompasses nearly all English history, Viking marauders on the Ridge-way, Roman Villas, Saxons, Norman Lords, French Monks, Royalty, The Civil War, Reformists, and much, much more.

When I visit Avebury (And I only have a very few times) I drink tea in the Tea Rooms, have a beer and a meal in the Red Lion, Have a look in the Shops and wander around the Church. Have a look at the Manor House and investigate the Dove Cot. If I take pictures I will team up the stones with the Church or Chapel and maybe the Pub. Obviously I don't do this all in one visit or every time but, the Village is as important to me as the Stones, Bank and Ditch. For me it's that kind of place. Unique history!! I believe the Monument and Village and it's history are 'bound' together.

Do I feel that digging up the stones that were buried so long a go will improve, help or aid that experience - No I don't. Do I believe that raising the Stones will help protect them - No I don't. Am I happy maintaining the Status Que - Yes I am.

Still I have no factual reasons for leaving them where they are, but thats how it is.

I think this sort of ties in with what I said earlier. If the monument was still 'alive' and in everyday use then a stone would be re-erected soon after it fell. Likewise if there was a major fire/explosion that wrecked one of your watering holes in the village you would probably want that re-built as well because you were used to seeing/using it. Would that be fair to say?

But thats not what or how it happened. It's what we have now that I base my thoughts on. Should we rebuild Corfu Castle and all the Abbeys destroyed in the Reformation or should we accept them for what they are.

That's a misleading analogy though. Nobody is proposing "rebuilding" Avebury - which for the analogy to be reasonable, would mean re-erecting every missing stone (including replacing some missing stones with modern replicas) and re-digging the ditch and raising the bank. Not to mention removing the village.

A more accurate analogy would be to compare restoring some stones to the restoration work already carried out successfully at many ruined castles and abbeys.

But thats not what or how it happened. It's what we have now that I base my thoughts on. Should we rebuild Corfu Castle and all the Abbeys destroyed in the Reformation or should we accept them for what they are.

Well we all know that Avebury has come second best in Which by now, so this news is old news. But you can't beat the Daily Mail for giving you bright photos of how we triumphed ;)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2265688/Aveburys-stone-monument-named-worlds-second-best-heritage-site--beating-Taj-Mahal-ancient-Pyramids.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'Nice' to see Stonehenge take a distant back seat as well :-)

Makes you wonder why a handful of tma-ers want to change that rating to see it come nowhere!