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LETTER OF JOHN HINCHLIFFE, ENGLISH HERITAGE
Written to Andis Kaulins, source:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0129472/
Dear Andis
Thank you for your message of 1 September concerning Thornborough Henges in North Yorkshire. Our Chief Executive Dr Simon Thurley has asked me to respond to your query.
As monuments of national importance all three of the Thornborough henges, the associated cursus and adjoining landscape are designated as Scheduled Ancient Monuments. Scheduling, or designation, allows the Government, with advice from English Heritage, to give legal protection to nationally important sites and monuments. The Secretary of State must be notified of any works which might affect a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and will not usually give consent for works which may damage or disturb the site. The henges can therefore be regarded as fully protected and not under threat.
The current mineral extractions at Thornborough, which are outside the scheduled monument area, are the subject of permissions granted to Tilcon-Tarmac by North Yorkshire County Council. At this stage English Heritage has no statutory authority to limit or prevent the extractions, which are within the remit of the local planning authority. The current extraction work has been the subject of archaeological sampling within a mitigation strategy agreed by North Yorkshire County Council's Heritage Unit as a condition of the existing planning consent.
English Heritage remains concerned about the wider landscape setting of the monuments and is currently funding Dr Jan Harding of Newcastle University to undertake extensive archaeological research, at a cost of over £145,000. Dr Harding's work has two principal components: firstly, he has produced an archaeological desktop assessment of the monument complex, clearly defining their significance and landscape setting, and assessing the archaeological
potential of the area. Secondly, he is undertaking a programme of extensive fieldwork to ascertain more fully the nature and preservation of the archaeological remains within the landscape around the henges. The results of Dr Harding's work will inform the future management of the henges and their landscape setting.
Until Dr Harding's work is completed, and the archaeological value of the landscape adjacent to the scheduled henges is better understood, English Heritage is firmly opposed to any further gravel extraction in the vicinity of the scheduled site.
In order to ensure the conservation and appropriate management of the henges and surrounding landscape, English Heritage has worked hard to develop effective partnerships with the owner of the central and southern henges and other relevant organisations. The owner has entered into a Countryside Stewardship agreement with DEFRA which has seen the reversion of the cursus, central henge and intervening landscape from arable cultivation to pasture. In addition, our Inspector of Ancient Monuments for the area has met with local groups (including the Friends of Thornborough) to listen to their concerns and discuss the problems and possible solutions with them, and English Heritage is committed to the continuation of this dialogue.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. Please be assured that we aim to continue working in partnership with the owners, the local community and North Yorkshire County Council to ensure the survival and effective management of the henges and their landscape.
Yours sincerely
John Hinchliffe
Acting Regional Director
English Heritage Yorkshire Region
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