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The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map : Index >>
Stones Forum >> Planning application looms for Britain’s Henge Capital
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Planning application looms for Britain’s Henge Capital |
Anonymous
User not Registered |  Posted 22-03-2004 at 15:14
The future of Britain’s Henge Capital - Thornborough Henges - a 5,000 years old henge complex that is only just gaining recognition as the UK's most important ritual location 5,000 years ago - is going to be decided this year.
Tarmac Northern Ltd, subsidiary of Anglo American Plc have confirmed, despite UK Government and English Heritage statements against further quarrying in the area, that they will be applying for planning permission to remove yet more of the ritual landscape of this, the UK's largest henge site.
At the same time that Stonehenge was a single earth circle of 120m diameter (the stones came much later) Thornborough was already massive - a triple henge complex of identical 240m henges - 12 times the ritual space of Stonehenge. A recent decision to spend £200m hiding a road at Stonehenge has been equally frustrating to Thornborough campaigners, who claim that only a fraction of this would secure Thornborough's future.
Yet most people in the UK have not heard of this ancient religious capital, a situation that Friends of Thornborough have been working to change.
"We have tried very hard to hit the national headlines and whilst the henges are weekly front page news in the regional’s we have not so far been able to deliver the national coverage we need." Said George Chaplin of Friends of Thornborough "Tarmac have confirmed that they will apply for permission soon after March 2004 and we think without a national outcry permission may well be granted".
The current quarry has already done a large amount of damage, destroying the only two settlements known to have been built by the henge builders/worshippers, a ritual deposition area and a graveyard - all with strong links to the henges, it is feared the new quarry will remove the last archaeologically rich land surrounding the henges - leaving the ritual landscape of the henges archaeologically sterile and ultimately surrounding the henges with bogs and lakes.
The ritual landscape of the henges occupies less than 1% of a gravel bed that stretches for more than 20 miles in North Yorkshire, yet almost the entire western side of the ritual landscape of the henges has been lost. Despite the area not being identified for any future quarrying, and despite the rich volume of finds found at the current quarry, Tarmac do not seem to think the henges are of much particular importance - they have announced proposals to remove all remaining land no specifically protected by law.
"This is a crazy situation" Said George "Our council and tourist authorities have never tried to use the henges as a tourist location, so no-one knows about them. Even though our Government and Heritage bodies are against further quarrying it is still very likely that planning permission will be granted".
It appears in Britain, heritage has to pay it's way - if it does not charge and entrance fee and earns a respectable revenue, then it is only good for short term gain - to be quarried.
Of course the ritual complex at Thornborough is making large returns for some. The council, North Yorkshire County Council, is earning over a million pounds a year thanks to a large part to the landfill site that they have constructed less that 100m from the central henge - and directly on top of the complexes oldest monument - the 5,500 year old Thornborough Cursus.
The Cursus at Thornborough is likely to have been the first monument in the world aligned to the Orion's constellation. The triple henges themselves appear to have been built to reflect Orion's Belt, and as such pre-date the Great Pyramids of Giza by 500 years, and are a lot more accurate!
The question definitely needs to be asked: with so much gravel available in North Yorkshire, why is the county's largest ancient monument being targeted in this way?
A conference of archaeologists to be held at Northallerton on the 27th of March will be asking what the future holds for Thornborough.
If you are a keen history fan, or if you just don't like little people being kicked around by big business, time is running out for Thornborough, perhaps it is time you took more than a passing interest?
This exclusive to news release comes directly from Friends of Thornborough, visit our website and find out more - www.friendsofthornborough.org
Remember - our petition needs 10,000 signatures before we can present it to parliament - how about getting us some signatures?
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