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| "Thornborough Central" | Login/Create an Account | 32 comments | ||
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| Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content. |
| Re: Thornborough Central (Score: 1) by DavidRaven on Wednesday, 05 November 2003 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| The central henge is easily visible from the roadside. It lies next to the landfill site, follow the stink and the seagulls. Access is easy from the road, just through the unlocked fieldgate, over the flat grass and you enter through one of the gaps in the henge bank. I can't remember who owns the land but they don't seem to care too much for the place. Don't let the bulldozers next-door put you off! The site is awe-inspiring. |
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| Handfasting at Thornborough. (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Wednesday, 12 November 2003 |
| On Saturday November the 1st, a pagan Wedding or 'Handfasting', was conducted at the Thornborough Henges in North Yorkshire. The Henges, as described in a previous email, are one of the most important ancient sites in Europe, and are currently under serious threat from quarrying. You can read my previous email about Thornborough here: http://www.hazelfurniture.co.uk/thornborough.htm You can find out about the campaign to save the Henges here: http://www.friendsofthornborough.org Zoe and Jim's handfasting at Thornborough proved to be a truly magical occasion. November the 1st is the pagan festival of Samhain, which marks the beginning of the new year, so we decided to combine the two celebrations in a single ceremony. We dedicated the ceremony to the goddess Brigantia, who in Celtic times, was worshiped here by the Brigantes tribe. I did not know this at the time, but the animal most associated with Brigantia in folklore is the white swan. The swan, which habitually forms a life long bond with it's chosen partner, is also a symbol of love. Now here is the truly incredible thing: At the very moment the ceremony started we heard a sound in the sky and looked up to see a flock a seven white swans flying low over our heads. I have never seen a flock of swans before in my life and their timing as well as their significance was truly awe inspiring. The day had not yet finished with it's surprises. As the Handfasting reached it's climax, and Zoe and Jim were tied together with a ceremonial cord, we looked up to see an aeroplane looping the loop in the sky above. Now that's something else you don't see everyday, so as you can imagine, we we're pretty impressed. As the ceremony finished two minibuses filled with archaeology students arrived at the Henge. Their lecturer told us that he believed the purpose of the Henge structure was to focus the attention of those within it away from the earth and towards to sky. Well the sky and Brigantia certainly delivered for us on this occasion. The Thornborough Henges are a truly magical place and what is being done to them now beggars belief. North Yorkshire County Council decided, in their wisdom, to put a landfill site next to the central Henge. This does not inspire faith in local politicians to protect this most important part of our heritage. Oliver oliver@hazelfurniture.co.uk |
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| Re: Thornborough Central (Score: 1) by PeterCrump on Wednesday, 19 November 2003 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| It's worth re-stating, I think: Please sign the online petition to save the Thorborough henges from quarrying operations: Friends of Thornborough |
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| Beltane 2004 at Thornborough (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Wednesday, 11 February 2004 |
| On Saturday May 1st 2004 there will be a celebration of the ancient festival of Beltane at Thornborough Henge in North Yorkshire. The ceremony will begin at 2pm in the afternoon and will take place at the central Henge. Thornborough Henge is under imminent threat from quarrying and we hope that as many people as possible will attend this event. All are welcome. Facts about Thornborough Thornborough Henge is the only triple Henge monument in the world. The three Henges at Thornborough are part of a wider ritual landscape consisting of six Henges and including three great standing stones at nearby Boroughbridge. Thornborough is the oldest known monument in the world to be aligned with the three stars of Orion's belt. The Great Pyramids of Egypt are also arranged in this pattern. The Henges are 5000 yrs old and were in continuous use for 1000 yrs, attracting pilgrims from all corners of Britain. The existing quarry at Thornborough has already destroyed 200 separate archaeological features. Tarmac will be applying for planning permission to quarry further into the Henge area sometime after March 2004. Getting to Thornborough The central Henge at Thornborough is accessible from the road that runs from the village of West Tansfield to the village of Thornborough eight miles north of Ripon in North Yorkshire. From junction 49 on the A1(M) continue north on the A1 and then travel west on the B6267 until you see signs for Thornborough. To see previous posts about Thornborough Henge or view maps of it's location click here: http://www.hazelfurniture.co.uk/thornborough.htm If you have any questions, ideas or need more information about the Beltane celebration at Thornborough then please reply to this address: oliver@hazelfurniture.co.uk |
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| Consultation Group set up (Score: 1) by Vicky on Tuesday, 02 March 2004 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From BBC News - Tuesday, 2 March, 2004: Talks on future of historic site A new group has been set up to look at the future of one of Britain's most important archaeological areas. Thornborough Henges near Ripon in North Yorkshire is a concentration of late Neolithic and Bronze Age sites. But there are fears it could be under threat if an application is made to extend sand and gravel quarrying. Now the county council has set up a consultation group including local people and representatives of English Heritage and English Nature. Mineral working The members will meet about every six weeks to exchange information and views on the future of the henges. County Councillor Peter Sowray, who chairs the group, said: "The county council recognises the importance of Thornborough Henges both locally and nationally. "The group has been set up to reflect the county council's role in dealing with the henges. "Further mineral working would have major implications not only for the henges and surrounding archaeological landscape but also in terms of the impact on local communities at Thornbrough and Nosterfield." In October 2003, North Yorkshire County Council was criticised by Dr Mark Horton from the University of Bristol for not doing enough to protect the site against damage from quarrying. Construction company Tarmac currently extracts more than 500,000 tonnes of sand and gravel each year from Nosterfield Quarry. Tarmac says nothing it is planning would damage the henges. |
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| Re: Consultation Group set up (Score: 1) by sem on Tuesday, 02 March 2004 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Condition: Ambience: Access: I know nothing at all about Thornborough,but before commenting on it we should all ask ourselves what will be lost by it's destruction and what will we learn by saving it? OR TO PUT IT ANOTHERWAY Will we lose anything by it's destruction and will we learn anything by saving it. Sem |
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| Ploughing Damage (Score: 1) by Vicky on Monday, 08 March 2004 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From Yorkshire Today 08/03/2004: Farm ploughing 'threat to prehistoric henges' EXPERTS say the immediate threat to archaeology around the 5,500-year-old Thornborough Henges in North Yorkshire is not an expansion of sand and gravel quarrying but the annual ploughing of land by farmers. Now the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is working with English Heritage to investigate the possibility of paying them not to plough in an area around the scheduled ancient monuments, which are said to rival the World Heritage Site at Stonehenge in importance. Concern is growing for the wider landscape around the three banked and ditched circular enclosures or henges because Tarmac wants to expand its sand and gravel quarry at Nosterfield, near Ripon, where reserves will be exhausted within three years. Archaeologist Jan Harding, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University, says the three ritual earthworks at Thornborough – each 240 metres across – are Britain's best-kept prehistoric secret, part of a sacred landscape that extends as far south as the Devil's Arrows at Boroughbridge. Tarmac is expected to submit a planning application later this year to extend its quarry on to Ladybridge Farm, which lies to the north of the existing site. When North Yorkshire County Council granted planning permission for the existing workings it required a watching brief by archaeologists. Former county council archaeologist Mike Griffiths, who is now retained as a consultant by Tarmac and has worked at Nosterfield since 1991, said he had heard criticism that quarrying resulted in the destruction of archaeology and accepted that was correct. But permission to extract sand and gravel included a requirement to carry out archaeological work, he said. "In this area I would say that we have learned more about the Neolithic and other periods as a direct consequence of the mineral workings than has come from other sources. "The biggest threat is not the quarrying. It is actually ploughing. That is what is wiping out the archaeology in this area," he said. Mr Griffiths said English Heritage would carry out a judgment on what should be done about the archaeology of the area. "If nothing is done the archaeology will disappear. The status quo is not an option. Either things have to be stopped and that will delay destruction or the archaeology has to be managed so that before it is destroyed the archaeology is recovered." Warning that each ploughing destroyed more archaeology, he added: "If nothing is done, within 20 to 30 years there will be virtually no archaeology. "You will have three henges but nothing to put them in context." English Heritage's inspector of ancient monuments in North Yorkshire, Keith Emerick, said the way forward could be a conservation plan in which all stakeholders, including the Friends of Thornborough, would say what they regarded as significant. Mr Emerick said Defra was willing to offer funding to protect the archaeology by paying farmers to stop ploughing and English Heritage was pursuing such a project, but he added: "You cannot make a farmer join." North Yorkshire's chief planning officer Simon Smales said the county council was committed to the fut-ure of Thornborough Henges but had a statutory responsibility to process any mineral application it received. "We would expect if and when an application comes in it would take us a year to get it to committee," he said. Mr Griffiths said finds with-in the quarrying area so far had, however, been sparse. "We have examined 40 hectares and volumes are extremely small. I am reading things that suggest arch-aeology is screaming out of the ground. It is not," he said. But he added that what had been found was informative and suggested Neolithic man had lived around a large lake, but once you Read the rest of this post... |
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| Re: Quarry firm in appeal over planning refusal (Score: 1) by coldrum on Friday, 09 June 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| New battle looming over the henges A NEW battle is looming over the quarrying of land close to one of the area's most important ancient sites. Three months after quarry firm Tarmac was refused planning permission to expand its operations near Thornborough Henges, north of Ripon, the company has formally lodged an appeal against the decision. The move comes as no big surprise, as Tarmac had indicated it would appeal after its plans were thrown out in February by a North Yorkshire County Council planning committee. The matter could now end up being resolved at a public inquiry. Estates manager Bob Nicholson said this week: "We are anxious to safeguard employment and maintain supply from the quarry to the construction industry and in order to do this we have followed the due process of formally lodging an appeal. http://www.knaresboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=18&ArticleID=1554514 |
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| Quarry firm offers land donation (Score: 1) by Andy B on Saturday, 30 July 2005 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| A quarrying firm has offered 60 acres of land next to ancient henges in North Yorkshire as a gift to the nation. Tarmac has applied to extend its sand and gravel operations at Ladybridge Farm close to the Neolithic Thornborough Henges, near Ripon. But with its donation it said it would also give the 1.5m tonnes of sand and gravel reserves beneath the surface. If agreed, this would enable visitors to see the best preserved of the three ancient earthwork henges. Simon Phillips from Tarmac said they wanted to give the area to English Heritage or an appropriate charitable trust. "The monument is attracting increasing numbers of visitors and we believe the time is right for the area of land to be donated to an appropriate conservation body," he said. "The preservation of the henges is vitally important to us all." The area being offered is equivalent to 60% of the quarrying area Tarmac have proposed for Ladybridge Farm. County councillors are due to make a decision on that application in September. Campaigners have voiced concerns that if approved, the work may help destroy clues about why the 5,000-year-old earthworks were built. 'Buy off protestors' Local campaign group Timewatch collected a petition of more than 1,500 signatures against the plans. Chairman of Timewatch George Chaplin welcomed the donation but said the landscape of the henges covered more than the 60 acres on offer. "We think that this may be a case of Tarmac attempting to buy off the protestors without taking into account the true extent of the archaeology," he said. "We think that all the remaining archaeology sitting within the ritual landscape of the henges should be saved, not just that which Tarmac is willing to give away." The henges are believed to represent one of Britain's largest ritual gathering places from the Neolithic period. Source: BBC Online |
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| New Archaeological Investigations (Score: 1) by Vicky on Tuesday, 01 November 2005 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| According to an article on Knaresborough Today new archaeological work is being carried out at the Thornborough henge site: Fresh archaeological survey work is under way at a proposed quarry site close to an ancient monument that has become known as 'The Stonehenge of the North'. And a rigorous standard of investigation, evaluation and scoring used to categorise remains found at the other Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, are being adopted by archaeolgists at the Ladybridge Farm site, near Bedale. The latest archaeological work at the site - just half a mile from the Thornborough Henges - covers almost four per c Consultant archaeologist Steve Timms, of MGA Associates, said: "In line with our initial investigation of the site, we are using the same methodology, principles and evaluation system as applied by the consultant archaeologists who advised English Heritage on proposed developments at Stonehenge. We call it the 'Stonehenge Standard.'" He added: "We hope that this additional work will provide North Yorkshire County Council with the extra information that it needs to make a decision on the planning application next year." In September, the county council's planning committee unanimously agreed to a request from Tarmac to defer a decision on its controversial application to extend quarrying operations on to Ladybridge Farm. The request followed advice from English Heritage that the application be refused because it considered that 'insufficient archaeological characterisation' had been carried out. Mr Timms said: "Using the 'Stonehenge Standard' as the benchmark, it is our professional opinion that the thin and scattered Mesolithlic and Neolithic material that we found in the initial investigation at Ladybridge does not meet the criteria of 'national importance' as set out in the government's planning guidance (PPG16). We now wait to see what the further investigation will reveal." Progress of the work is being recorded on the website and updates posted in the Information and Education Centre at Nosterfield Quarry. * Tarmac is holding an open morning on Saturday, November 5, for anybody wanting to see the excavations and meet with the archaeologists on site. This will run from 8am until noon and those wishing to visit are asked to call 01677 470209 so that arrangements can be made to transport them to the site. 01 November 2005 |
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| Re: Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Wednesday, 22 February 2006 |
| Yeeehah ! A brief respite in the turmoil of the quarrying world. Needless to say Tarmac will appeal and then try to find other sites for quarrying near the heanges. There may be even more undiscovered archaeology hidden in the surrounding area (as the horse burials have suggested). Nationally important? More like universally important. If you have any doubt of the power of the henges you must visit the northern tree covered henge - it is like taking a step back 4000 years - absolutely magical. Should be interesting to see if Tarmac will let us use the henge again this Beltane . . . So be happy but wary - keep your eyes peeled for more plans from Tarmac. HUMANITY: 6 CORPORATIONS: 3 |
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| Dig Clears Way for Site Decision (Score: 1) by Andy B on Thursday, 01 December 2005 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Archaeologists have apparently completed the additional excavation work which has delayed the decision: http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1272056 |
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| Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 1) by PaulM on Tuesday, 21 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Campaigners have won a battle against plans to increase quarrying near an ancient monument in North Yorkshire. They argued the area is of national archaeological importance. Councillors agreed and rejected the plans. Tarmac said it would appeal against a decision to refuse its plans to quarry tonnes of sand and gravel at Ladybridge Farm, near Thornborough Henges. The land could cope with the quarrying said Tarmac, adding it hoped factual evidence would prevail at its appeal. North Yorkshire County councillors voted 6 to 3 to reject the application at a planning meeting on Tuesday. Tarmac's estate manager Bob Nicholson said the decision threatened the livelihoods of more than 50 people and had serious implications for the supply of sand and gravel to the construction industry. 'Mythical invention' He said excavations on the site had found limited evidence of prehistoric activity and it did not meet the criteria to qualify as being of national importance. "Our proposal for Ladybridge, which actually moves quarrying further away from the henges than our current operation, poses absolutely no threat to the ancient monument, which is protected by law. "Yet throughout this anti-quarrying campaign, protestors have, through misleading statements and images, claimed that the monument is threatened. "We maintain that our application is both justified and reasonable and we will mount a robust case for its approval at appeal, when we hope that factual evidence will prevail over mythical invention." The henges are believed to be one of Britain's largest ritual gathering places from the Neolithic period. Local campaign group Timewatch collected more than 10,000 signatures for a petition against the scheme, which it said would contribute to the permanent loss of nationally important archaeology. US-based conservation group the Landmarks Foundation also voiced its concern at the quarry proposals, describing them as a tragedy. Councillor John Fletcher, who chaired the planning meeting, said: "Because of the well articulated arguments from all sides it was a very hard decision to make. "However, the right decision was made." Tarmac already has a quarry at Nosterfield, close to the ancient henges which consist of three earthworks built in a line running north-south for about a mile. Workers at the Nosterfield Quarry and local building firms sent in 80 letters and a 350-signature petition arguing that their livelihoods depended on the application's approval. |
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| Re: Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 1) by PaulM on Wednesday, 22 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From North Yorkshire County Council's website: Planning decision on Lady Bridge Farm February 21, 2006 A North Yorkshire County Council committee has today rejected proposals for a development next to an important archaeological site. The County Council's planning and regulatory functions committee met at Masham Town Hall at 10am to decide whether Tarmac Northern Ltd, could extract sand and gravel from Lady Bridge Farm, Thornborough, which lies adjacent to the Thornborough Henges site of archaeological importance. Approx 60 members of the public - including a large turnout of Tarmac’s own staff - attended the meeting to hear the committee’s decision. Objectors and applicants were each given thirty minutes to represent their case, with both sides represented by archaeologists. The committee decided that the application be refused as it went against North Yorkshire’s mineral local plan, regarding the location, scale and the adverse impact it would have on “nationally important archaeological remains.” County Councillor John Fletcher, who chaired today’s meeting, said: “This was a hard decision to reach but the committee gave full consideration to the well articulated arguments from both sides before coming to their conclusion.” |
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| Re: Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 1) by PaulM on Wednesday, 22 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From The Yorkshire Post Today: Campaigners celebrate as quarry extension is rejected Construction giant loses heritage battle Brian Dooks A LONG-running fight by campaigners to protect the area around a nationally important Neolithic site in North Yorkshire ended in success yesterday when construction giant Tarmac was refused permission to extend a nearby quarry. Tarmac immediately said it would appeal after losing its battle with English Heritage over the importance of the Neolithic remains at the quarry site near Thornborough Henges, a scheduled ancient monument, which archaeologists claim is the Stonehenge of the North. The company wants to extract 2.2 million tonnes of sand and gravel by extending Nosterfield Quarry, north of Ripon, further away from the three henges on to 112 acres of Ladybridge Farm, but North Yorkshire County Council's planning committee yesterday voted 6-3 to reject the scheme. The legality of the decision was immediately questioned because the committee's vice-chairman, Heather Garnett, failed to declare that she was a member of English Heritage and North Yorkshire's "Heritage Champion" before proposing the refusal. Conservative councillor Mrs Garnett, from Darley, near Harrogate, left the Masham meeting refusing to comment, but after consulting solicitors, the council's assistant director of environmental service, Simon Smales, said it had decided the decision was legal and would stand. Mr Smales said Coun Garnett had declared a personal but non-prejudicial interest when the decision was postponed in September and should have done so yesterday. "That is something which the county council's monitoring officer may want to look into," he said. "It was a mistake. She just forgot to do it." Nosterfield Quarry, which produces 20 per cent of the sand and gravel extracted in North Yorkshire – most of it sent down the A1 to development sites in West Yorkshire – employs 15 staff and provides work for 40 hauliers. They will lose their jobs if the quarry closes. Amid a growing environmental campaign led by the Friends of Thornborough Henges and Timewatch, which resulted in over 1,000 letters of objection and a 9,680-signature petition, archaeologists disagreed over the importance of the remains left by visitors to the "sacred landscape" around the henges between 4000 and 1500BC. English Heritage's view that the finds were of national importance was shared by the senior lecturer in archaeology at Newcastle University, Dr Jan Harding, who said Stonehenge had produced only six occupational pits. "When we deal with Ladybridge we have 200." Dr Harding said the Neolithic remains had to be preserved in situ to create a sustainable resource, which archaeologists could return to examine as knowledge increased. But Mike Griffiths, a former North Yorkshire county archaeologist who is Tarmac's consultant, disagreed. Describing himself as "the Pol Pot of British archaeology" he told councillors their own expert had agreed with his conclusions. Mr Griffiths said: "National interest, national significance certainly, but national importance no." Tarmac estates manager Bob Nicholson said: "We will appeal against this decision because we believe that the advice given by English Heritage is based on speculation and supposition about the status of archaeology at Ladybridge and their assertion of national importance is not supported by factual evidence. "We maintain that our application is both justified and reasonable and we will mount a robust case for its approval at appeal, when we hope that factual evidence will prevail over mythical invention." Timewatch spokesman George Chaplin, who said English Heritage's opinions had been the deciding factor, sa Read the rest of this post... |
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| Re: Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 1) by PaulM on Wednesday, 22 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From The Guardian: Quarrying at henge site rejected Martin Wainwright Wednesday February 22, 2006 The Guardian Plans to quarry gravel from part of Britain's biggest prehistoric site were rejected yesterday but the construction company Tarmac is to appeal. A full public inquiry is now likely over the fate of land surrounding Thornborough Henges, three giant discs encircled by earthen ramparts which have survived from a complex of eight erected around 5000BC in the Vale of York. The quashing of the plan by North Yorkshire county council was welcomed by English Heritage and the British Council for Archaeology which have ranked the complex as a "northern Stonehenge". Although short of dramatic stone relics, the area is rich in burial mounds, traces of settlements and an formal avenue which may have been used for ceremonial funerals. Tarmac's estates manager Bob Nicholson said the firm was deeply disappointed by a decision which could put 50 jobs at risk. He also warned of serious implications for the supply of sand and gravel to the construction industry and said the company would appeal against the decision. The quarrying did not threaten the actual henges which are scheduled national monuments. |
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| Re: Monument quarry plans thrown out (Score: 1) by AngieLake on Wednesday, 22 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| That's great news. Now wouldn't it be wonderful if the quarries could all be filled in, and the area restored to its original, unspoiled, sacred setting (as they hope to improve Stonehenge's surroundings by diverting the road). Maybe making it into a low-key archaeological visitor centre, [ie: not intruding on the landscape as Stonehenge visitor buildings do] bringing in more visitors to the area, there could still be jobs for local people? Whooosh...... there goes that pig again! |
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| How much of this landscape would you protect? (Score: 1) by Andy B on Thursday, 23 February 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Archaeoastrnonomer Alun Salt gives his own view of the controversy, and is not convinced by the Orion connection: http://archaeoastronomy.co.uk/2006/01/29/how-much-of-this-landscape-would-you-protect/ |
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| Thornborough theme park? (Score: 1) by DavidRaven on Sunday, 05 March 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From Nidderdale Today:- Landowner's tourist vision for henges is unveiled THE man who created the Lightwater Valley theme park wants to turn the ancient Thornborough Henges into a tourist attraction. Landowner Robert Staveley outlined his ideas at a public meeting called by West Tanfield Parish Council on Wednesday. Mr Staveley said he aimed to create a car park and visitor centre, build a ‘transport system’ around the site and recreate the southernmost henge so visitors could see how it would have looked when it was built more than 5,000 years ago. He said the henge mound would be covered in a membrane and earth added on top so as not to harm the archaeology. "At the moment, when people come here they are so disappointed because there is so little there," he said. He added his plans were at a very early stage and more discussion would need to take place. George Chaplain, of heritage campaign group, TimeWatch, who was at Wednesday’s meeting, said: "Mr Staveley's proposals were not quite as frightening as they could have been. “But I am concerned about recreating the southern henge. I would like to see entry to Thornborough Henges remain free of charge – I worry he is looking at it purely from a commercial perspective." Last week quarry firm Tarmac was refused planning permission to expand its current operations near the henges because of the importance of the site. Commenting on Mr Staveley’s tourism scheme, a spokesman for the firm said: “We see no conflict in principle between tourists visiting the henges and continuation of our quarry at Nosterfield with the useful employment it provides. ”Visitors already come to the Nosterfield Quarry visitor centre and viewing area which opened last year – it is free and is popular with birdwatchers and walkers.” 03 March 2006 |
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| Re: Thornborough theme park? (Score: 1) by Thorgrim on Sunday, 05 March 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Well - they keep calling it the "Stonehenge of the North". So they too can have a naff visitors' centre, car park and excess roads. |
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| Beltane 2006 at Thornborough. (Score: 1) by DavidRaven on Sunday, 12 March 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| From the Sacred Brigantia Trust:- Beltane at Thornborough Henge 2006. Sunday 30th April, 12pm onwards, Thornborough Central Henge. Celebrate the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane at one of Britain's most important prehistoric sacred sites. Everyone welcome, admission FREE! For more information, including directions, please visit: http://www.sacredbrigantia.com Beltane at Thornborough Henge is an annual event at which a diverse group of people come together to celebrate the return of the sun and the beginning of the summer months. Camping for the entire weekend is available at a choice of two beautiful locations (driving distance from the henges) starting at £3 a night. In fact, each campsite has it's own wonderful new stone circle, one finished and one still under construction! For details of the camping, or for any other questions about the event, please contact: info@sacredbrigantia.com Beltane at Thornborough Henge is organised by the Sacred Brigantia Trust. We are always looking for volunteers to help us with every aspect of the event. If you would like to get involved then please email us. |
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| Re: Beltane 2006 at Thornborough. (Score: 1) by MickM on Sunday, 12 March 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| "...each campsite has it's own wonderful new stone circle, one finished and one still under construction!" Does this mean that the theme park & tourist attraction is already being developed, or is this just a prototype for an altogether more tacky development of the henges themselves? Could somebody also explain why this Neolithic site is now being associated with people & festivals from millennia later than the site's usage? |
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| Re: Quarry firm in appeal over planning refusal (Score: 1) by coldrum on Friday, 09 June 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Henges row set to flare up after appeal By Steve Barton A NEW battle is looming over the quarrying of land close to one of the area’s most important ancient sites. Three months after quarry firm Tarmac was refused planning permission to expand its operations close to the Thornborough Henges, near Bedale, the company has formally lodged an appeal against the decision. The move comes as no big surprise, as Tarmac had indicated it would appeal after its plans were thrown out in February by a North Yorkshire County Council planning committee. The matter could now end up being resolved at a public inquiry. Estates manager Bob Nicholson said this week: “We are anxious to safeguard employment and maintain supply from the quarry to the construction industry and in order to do this we have followed the due process of formally lodging an appeal. “However, we are also discussing the possibility of a revised application for a smaller extraction area at Ladybridge Farm, avoiding the areas which were the subject of archaeological concern.” Tarmac, which operates Nosterfield Quarry, close to the henge complex, faced fierce opposition from conservation and heritage groups when it applied for permission to quarry a further 112 acres of adjacent land at Ladybridge. http://www.northallertontoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=22&ArticleID=1554438 |
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| Re: Quarry firm in appeal over planning refusal (Score: 1) by expatpete on Friday, 09 June 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Quite apart from the horrendous idea of doing anything that could damage or alter the surroundings of this magnificent site, a question! I have never been there , and probably never will as I rarely return to the UK- but! All the aerial photos, Multi Map , Google Earth and not forgetting JJ's super one on the homepage, show the southern henge as a complete circle, as does the Old Map on Multi Map. The "modern" OS map on Multi Map show it as an incomplete circle. Why is this? Had there been damage to it and restoration been carried out ? Can any one shed some light on this ? - Please! Best regards Pete |
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| Quarry firm in appeal over planning refusal (Score: 1) by Andy B on Wednesday, 07 June 2006 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| No surprises here: A QUARRY company that wants to extract another 2.2 million tonnes of sand and gravel near a nationally important neolithic site is appealing against refusal of planning permission. More: http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1546876 |
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| Virtual Reality model of Thornborough (Score: 1) by Andy B on Thursday, 25 January 2007 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| Newcastle University has developed a virtual reality model that drapes the night sky of 3,500BC over a model of the three massive Thornborough Henges, whose layout on the ground in North Yorkshire mirrors that of Orion's Belt. See: http://thornborough.ncl.ac.uk/vrml/htm |
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| UK - Huge Labyrinth walk will herald the launch of new Thornborough campaign (Score: 1) by coldrum on Wednesday, 19 September 2007 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| UK - Huge Labyrinth walk will herald the launch of new Thornborough campaign Monday, 3:05 PM TIMEWATCH.ORG MEDIA RELEASE - 10/09/2007 Huge Labyrinth walk ceremony will herald the launch of new Thornborough restoration campaign Thornborough Henges to be target of Restoration campaign More the 500 candles will be used to create a massive labyrinth at Thornborough’s Central Henge as part of the opening ceremony for TimeWatch’s new campaign to restore Thorborough’s ancient cursus. Heritage campaign Group TimeWatch has announced that the group is to launch a new campaign aimed at restoring what the group is calling the “sacred Landscape” of Thornborough Henges. To kick off the campaign, and in recognition of the ancient site’s ritual purpose, TimeWatch have invited local religious and spiritual groups to participate in a ceremony of good fortune for the campaign. The ceremony will begin at 7pm on Saturday 22nd September and will involve pagan, Christian and people from other faiths who all agree that restoring one of Yorkshires oldest and largest ritual monuments is an important next step for the campaign. The ceremony will last for two hours and will include a partial walk of the cursus and story telling. “In recognising the religious origins for the mighty monuments at Thornborough, we also recognise that no particular group has ownership of these structures; they belong to us all and we invite all-comers to come and help us begin the task of restoration by taking part in this spectacular ceremony” Said TimeWatch Chairman George Chaplin. After more than five years of campaigning against quarrying at Thornborough, and following the planning ruling that the important archaeology surrounding the henges had to be protected TimeWatch have announced that it is time to begin restoring parts of the site that have been previously ruined. “Thornborough Cursus is potentially the oldest major monument in the world aligned to the Constellation Orion. It is also the largest monument at Thornborough; almost a mile long” Said Mr Chaplin “On the 22nd of September we will be launching an entirely new campaign to restore the section that has been quarried back to its original state. We believe that this move will be positive for all involved since it will return the land back to original quality. The Cursus at Thornborough is thought to have been built around 3,500BC, some five hundred years before the henges. It is a fifty meter wide strip of land, almost a mile long that was cleared in order to create a ceremonial causeway that some think of as a “spirit path” for the soul to return to the heavens. Thornborough’s cursus has been compared to the shaft within the King’s Chamber in the Great Pyramid in Giza. This was also aligned to Orion and emanates from the central pyramid of three structures that mirror Orion’s Belt. This too has been equated to a spirit path – a passageway for the soul of the pharaoh to travel to Orion. “We think we can best protect Thornborough by helping to promote it as a unique site of international importance. Restoring the cursus will greatly help with this and will have local and regional environmental and economic benefits” Said Mr Chaplin. http://www.timewatch.org/ |
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| Re: UK - Huge Labyrinth walk will herald the launch of new Thornborough campaign (Score: 1) by kooljeff on Sunday, 23 September 2007 (User Info | Send a Message) |
| I hope it was a success. |
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| Re: UK - Huge Labyrinth walk will herald the launch of new Thornborough campaign (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Thursday, 01 May 2008 |
| Beltain cometh and the green man is getting fat. Come and join in our celebration of all things Beltane at these magnificent henges. Main ceremony central henge 1pm. Many green men, many drummers and some fire . . . need I say more? |
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| Re: Thornborough Central (Score: 1) by Anonymous on Tuesday, 04 November 2008 |
| Does anyone know the legal status of access to Thornborough? I went there last Saturday and the gates both sides of the road are now padlocked. Now I don't mind this so much, an idiot with an off-road vehicle could wreck the place even faster than Tarmac. I did however feel uneasy having to climb the (locked) gate to gain access. A stile would have been a good "visitors welcome" sign. Is the site an SSI? Is it CROW land? Was I trespassing or excercising my right to roam? Great place though, worth the long drive |
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| Re: Thornborough Central (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Thursday, 16 April 2009 |
| Beltane mummers play Sun 3rd May noon onwards. See http://www.sacredbrigantia.com for more details. Get your green man costume on and come and join the Beltane fun. |
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