From the Ripon Gazette
Horses find shows that we are not riding roughshod through archaeology -
Tarmac
Quarry firm Tarmac has faced bitter criticism from campaigners fighting to
protect the prehistoric Thornborough Henges and has been accused of
destroying archaeological remains in the same area. But nothing could be
further from the truth, the company tells Lee Sobot.
Earlier this year, the skeletal remains of four horses were discovered at
Nosterfield Quarry, near West Tanfield.
A fragment was sent for carbon dating in Scotland and the recently revealed
results tell us that the horses date back to the Iron Age - in this case
about 50AD.
The horses were lying nose to tail, suggesting something remarkably
ritualistic about the find. The skeletons are now being stored at Kings
Manor in York, part of the University.
Discoveries like this are rare, highly significant and of major
archaeological interest.
So who discovered them? It was Tarmac, the firm that stands accused not
caring about the archaeology of the area.
Tarmac say discoveries like these are proof they want to preserve
archaeology, quite the opposite of destroying it.
"Quarrying in the UK has provided us with a massive amount of archaeological
finds" says Mike Griffiths, the site's archaeologist employed by Tarmac.
"I have been doing this since the 1960's and I am happy to say that more
archaeological information has come through quarrying than any other
source".
Mr Griffiths began looking at the Nosterfield Quarry and Ladybridge Farm
sites ten years ago. He is paid by Tarmac to ensure they are not quarrying
land containing significant archaeology. He must also ensure any archaeology
found is removed and recorded.
Over the years, field walking, test pitting, trial excavations, geophysical
surveys and sieving and sampling have been among the performed by Mr
Griffith's team.
The discovery of four Iron Age horses at Nosterfield Quarry proves that
Tarmac and Mr Griffiths are doing their job and the skeletal remains are by
far the most significant discovery on the site.
But Mr Griffiths says he can assure campaigners, including Friends of
Thornborough, that similar finds are unlikely to exist at Ladybridge Farm,
set to be quarried in 2006 if planning permission is granted. After years of
research he says he knows best.
"The Iron Age horses are a significant find and are probably connected to
the Romans," he says.
"But there is not as much archaeology here as people say. We have done the
work, we have done the topsoiling and we know. I get really annoyed when
people say Tarmac are not bothered about archaeology and just want to
bulldoze their way through - people have misconceived what Tarmac are
about."
"We strip the area first to check for archaeology and every single discovery
is recorded and reported."
Mr Griffiths says that, unfairly, he and Tarmac are on a loser as regards
any archaeological investigations, despite the fact that Tarmac have spent
£420,000 researching the archaeology of Nosterfield Quarry and Ladybridge
Farm. If archaeology is found "we told you so" will be the response from
campaign groups like the Friends of Thornborough. If not, Tarmac will be
seen to be quite literally, hiding the facts.
"Now we are producing the results of our archaeological studies and we are
not producing the picture that people want to see," says Mr Griffiths.
"But we are producing the real picture. A lot of emotion has got into this
but we are producing the facts and it is time that some of that emotion was
diffused."
A huge file on the table is bursting with extensive archaeological research,
and Mr Griffiths says Tarmac has stopped at nothing to ensure meticulous
studying has taken place. Tarmac is now preparing to present the council
with a detailed evaluation report of Ladybridge early next year. It will say
there is little significant archaeology and what there is is scattered.
Rob Moore, estates manager for Tarmac Northern says "We have gone well
beyond the legal requirements in our research."
As well as arguing there is little archaeology on Ladybridge Farm, Tarmac
say there are numerous other reasons why quarrying on Ladybridge must go
ahead, and leading them is demand.
"If there is somewhere else where we can quarry large amounts of sand and
gravel then somebody show us," says Mr Moore.
"There is a huge demand for these materials, they are essential for building
houses and this site contributes towards one quarter of the sand and gravel
requirements for North Yorkshire."
Many say Ladybridge Farm is quite simply "part of the henges" -
archaeologically rich or not. But Mr Moore disagrees.
"Visually, the work on Ladybridge would have no impact on the henges," he
says.
"There is a fair distance from Ladybridge to the first henge (just over half
a mile) and as Ladybridge and the henges are level in terms of land the work
would not be visible from the surrounding area."
Mr Moore also stresses that no traffic would travel through the village of
Nosterfield, as the A1 links directly to the back road B6267, providing
quick, easy access to Ladybridge Farm. Noise and traffic are not an issue.
Why then does Mr Moore think the application is so heavily criticised?
He knows the fear of even more quarrying, closer to the henges on
Thornborough Moor, is heavy on campaigners' minds - the theory of "give them
and inch and they'll take a mile".
Indeed, Tanfield parish councillor Peter Almack cited this "fear" as his
reason for choosing not to oppose Tarmac's plans.
A tactical decision, he said Tarmac could have Ladybridge Farm but never
Thornborough Moor. In other words, this councillor was saving his objection,
his trump card, until then.
Tarmac has clearly stated its future intention to quarry Thornborough Moor
but Mr Moore says not too much should be read into that.
"Planning to quarry on Thornborough Moor and actually doing it are worlds
apart," he said. "We have to earmark these areas to inform the council or
our rough plans, It is only earmarking and we will certainly never be
quarrying the henges."
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