moss
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Edited Jan 14, 2018, 09:28
Scheduling of Cornish Sites
Jan 14, 2018, 09:26
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If things are only recorded and given no legal rights how do we know their value? Rather a silly question to ask on TMA, after all we all notice the gradual attrition that happens on prehistoric sites. Whether by farming methods or the gradual building of housing estates, or even the dumping of rubbish.
So some facts in Elizabeth Dale's article are totally surprising .....
"It is startling then to learn that more than 93% of Cornwall’s ancient monuments remain almost completely unprotected.
The Historic Environment Record, the principle source of information on archaeological sites in the UK, lists more than 13,000 prehistoric monuments in Cornwall, only 816 are scheduled. In recent years a lack of government funding has meant a slowdown in scheduling across the country. Between 2007 and 2017 only six prehistoric monuments were scheduled in Cornwall, of those just two were previously unprotected sites, the rest were updates to monuments already recorded."
TMA and the Megalithic Portal have marvellous databases, I suspect so does Drewboy for Scotland! but officialdom in the form of English Heritage is obviously underfunded and no longer cares for out of the way sites, so what would you do?
https://theheritagetrust.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/the-threat-to-cornwalls-heritage/
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tjj
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Edited Jan 14, 2018, 23:04
Re: Scheduling of Cornish Sites
Jan 14, 2018, 17:23
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moss wrote:
Have just read the above article which is of course worrying. I had the impression that Cornwall's ancient monuments (including crosses) were generally cherished. Your article highlights the sterling work Roy Goutte and his friends are doing in North Cornwall. Do I take it he has changed his stance on metal detecting :)
Quote:
“It was a great surprise to me to discover that the whole Leskernick complex was not scheduled.” Roy told me and his concerns were justified as the work got underway. “During the clearance there were signs of damage by recent metal detectorists and earlier ‘treasure seekers’ who had dug into the cairn nearest the stone row and those on Leskernick Hill itself. Throughout the settlement there are indications of damage where stones from the round houses have been lifted, there were also clear signs of [farm] vehicles damaging the stone circles and also the removing or breaking up of the now recumbent stones.”
Scheduling would certainly protect sites from indifferent land owners/farmers whose primary concern is land clearance for whatever reason - thinking of Priddy Henge where the landowner was prosecuted for allowing damage to it. Not sure it would deter rogue metal detectorists though.
On a positive note and part of the bigger picture, Ocifant recently posted some good news about Penwith ...
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/forum/?thread=76562
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