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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 20:39
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Thanks for the link Nigel. I note the reference to "hundreds" of people climbing each year. I hadn't appreciated it was so many, I assumed (probably naively) that it was a few dozen. I've never seen anyone up there myself, but I've only ever been there (to Avebury) in the day and not that often. Have I underestimated the scale? Are we talking "mass climbing" in groups, or lots of solitary visits? [Just curious, rather than going anywhere with this.]
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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 20:42
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The best suggestion made so far. Actually, I'm not sure that isn't the best suggestion in seriousness as well as jest.
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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 20:47
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Evergreen Dazed wrote: I also agree with what you (half jokingly perhaps) referred to regarding psychology. Just as an exmaple, imagine several signs, one after the other. Friendly, welcoming, but each urging (some might say begging) people not to climb the monument. Something like that would make the guillt of ignoring those pleas quite large in most peoples minds. Its fairly easy to get people to do/think what you want, you just have to know the tricks I guess. I agree with this, as I said earlier the majority of people will follow "the rules" whatever they might be. Perhaps the messages could get stronger on progressive signs placed on the slopes: "If you wouldn't mind, please please don't climb the hill, awfully kind of you" "Please don't climb any further" "Stop climbing now!" "Climbing further will result in certain death" "Death imminent" "Goodbye (we told you)"
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Sanctuary 4670 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 21:17
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This makes for a good read… http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/conservation-projects/silbury-hill/ And this is interesting considering our discussion on the original path…a flight of stairs??!! ‘The present pathway up the mound is a useful archaeological indicator, for its position has not changed at all since John Aubrey - often regarded as the founding father of analytical field survey - illustrated it during the 1660s. All features that the path overlies or cuts through must therefore be earlier. One earthwork that the path post-dates is a broad but low bank that rises from the terminal of the western causeway almost to the summit. It is conceivable that this marks the line of a hedge that once subdivided the mound, but it could represent an ancient route to the summit - perhaps even the remains of a flight of stairs’.
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Evergreen Dazed 1881 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 21:51
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thesweetcheat wrote: Evergreen Dazed wrote: I also agree with what you (half jokingly perhaps) referred to regarding psychology. Just as an exmaple, imagine several signs, one after the other. Friendly, welcoming, but each urging (some might say begging) people not to climb the monument. Something like that would make the guillt of ignoring those pleas quite large in most peoples minds. Its fairly easy to get people to do/think what you want, you just have to know the tricks I guess. I agree with this, as I said earlier the majority of people will follow "the rules" whatever they might be. Perhaps the messages could get stronger on progressive signs placed on the slopes: "If you wouldn't mind, please please don't climb the hill, awfully kind of you" "Please don't climb any further" "Stop climbing now!" "Climbing further will result in certain death" "Death imminent" "Goodbye (we told you)" haha, then a final one 'look out!' and gunfire and rocket noises triggered by touch sensitive pads on the top! What about something like : "We know you might like to climb this hill. We often feel the same. It is a magnificent, beautiful structure and its presence here, even after 4000 years, is still breathtaking. We are so lucky just to still be able to come to this place to look at this hill and dream. We all do it. The people that love and care for our prehistoric heritage come here from all walks of life and from all parts of this country and the world. Some, no doubt well meaning, old archaeological investigations have compromised the integrity of this hill. At one point it was in a very real danger of collapsing. It is still in a very fragile state. Some people, in trying to feel as close a bond as possible perhaps to our ancestors and to our past, like to climb the hill. Many do not realise the damage that is done by what amounts to thousands of people walking on the hill over many years. We also know that most of those people would be horrified if they realised the damage they were inadvertently causing to such a precious monument. We know you might like to climb this hill. We would too. But please don't. We want it to still be here in another 4000 years for others to marvel at as you do, and when you leave this place today we would like you to feel you have played your part in its survival. Thank you and please enjoy your time here."
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Sanctuary 4670 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 22:08
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thesweetcheat wrote: Evergreen Dazed wrote: I also agree with what you (half jokingly perhaps) referred to regarding psychology. Just as an exmaple, imagine several signs, one after the other. Friendly, welcoming, but each urging (some might say begging) people not to climb the monument. Something like that would make the guillt of ignoring those pleas quite large in most peoples minds. Its fairly easy to get people to do/think what you want, you just have to know the tricks I guess. I agree with this, as I said earlier the majority of people will follow "the rules" whatever they might be. Perhaps the messages could get stronger on progressive signs placed on the slopes: "If you wouldn't mind, please please don't climb the hill, awfully kind of you" "Please don't climb any further" "Stop climbing now!" "Climbing further will result in certain death" "Death imminent" "Goodbye (we told you)" You forgot...'Go on...make my day punk!'
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goffik 3926 posts |
Jan 08, 2013, 22:26
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Thank you! I have my moments... ;) G x
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jan 09, 2013, 07:03
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Maybe someone has done a count. I see people up there more often than not, usually in twos or threes. If I had to guess I'd say dozens a day in the summer - it's probably part of the crop circle experience and a lot of those get built nearby no doubt because the Hill is the perfect viewpoint for them. I get the impression most are tourists. I wonder if that's psychology playing a part again, "I no able to read your damn notice signor..." Some are home grown of course. I once went into an indignant old fart routine at 3 people scrambling straight down without even bothering to use the path and one of them shouted "Eff off it's our temple maan" so he must have been some sort of priest or a Mason or something. Later I realised I could have said yeah but it's our monument maan. Hope he's reading this!
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VBB 558 posts |
Jan 09, 2013, 08:57
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thesweetcheat wrote: Thanks for the link Nigel. I note the reference to "hundreds" of people climbing each year. I hadn't appreciated it was so many, I assumed (probably naively) that it was a few dozen. I've never seen anyone up there myself, but I've only ever been there (to Avebury) in the day and not that often. Have I underestimated the scale? Are we talking "mass climbing" in groups, or lots of solitary visits? [Just curious, rather than going anywhere with this.] Over the last two years I have been passing Silbury on average 4 times a week, I regularly speak to people that monitor the hill, and a couple that have views of it from their windows. If it isn't raining or foggy, and sometimes even when it is, there are always vehicles in the car park, the lay-bys, and sometimes in that field entrance just east of the monument. Climbers are regularly seen, and sometimes movement around the lip of the summit points to people already being up there. At weekends when it is fine you not infrequently see people climbing up as others are coming down. Mass climbing only takes place usually on such as solstices or following some provocation such as a crop circle or ufo sighting. Most of the time it is just a drip, drip, drip, of individuals, couples, carload, or small parties taking the footpaths, some over from Avebury, Swallowhead, or WKLB. Let's face it we all know the temptation is great, but it simply has to stop and a reasonable solution found. It's in The Times today, so Prince Charles now knows not to climb! :)
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jan 09, 2013, 09:10
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Evergreen Dazed wrote: What about something like : "We know you might like to climb this hill. We often feel the same. It is a magnificent, beautiful structure and its presence here, even after 4000 years, is still breathtaking. We are so lucky just to still be able to come to this place to look at this hill and dream. We all do it. The people that love and care for our prehistoric heritage come here from all walks of life and from all parts of this country and the world. Some, no doubt well meaning, old archaeological investigations have compromised the integrity of this hill. At one point it was in a very real danger of collapsing. It is still in a very fragile state. Some people, in trying to feel as close a bond as possible perhaps to our ancestors and to our past, like to climb the hill. Many do not realise the damage that is done by what amounts to thousands of people walking on the hill over many years. We also know that most of those people would be horrified if they realised the damage they were inadvertently causing to such a precious monument. We know you might like to climb this hill. We would too. But please don't. We want it to still be here in another 4000 years for others to marvel at as you do, and when you leave this place today we would like you to feel you have played your part in its survival. Thank you and please enjoy your time here." Yes, I like that – maybe in two or three languages as well.
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