I visited the barrow on Thursday. The fields approaching the monument are now unfenced, but there has been a half-hearted attempt to enclose the
monument plus incorporate an aluminium farmer's gate into the fenced enclosure. But the gate has been left off its hinges, slumped against the fence. The general effect is of a run-down farmyard - you expect to find spare bits of tractors dotted around the barrow. It's so bad it's bizarre.
Once inside the barrow I removed no less than 5 night lights, one still burning away at the crumbling dry stone walling, at the extreme west end of the interior. With an electric torch looking for more, I discovered numerous chalk drawings all over the megaliths, and numerous black, waxy burn marks where candles have been set into stone crevices and allowed to burn out.
Now I suspect some of the contributors to this list may know or know of people who are actively involved in this business - probably local youngsters - from Marlborough, Swindon or Calne, etc. And this is what I'd like to say to them: If you want to spend some time in West Kennet Long Barrow, take an electric torch. Fire harms stone. Please don't light fires near or within megalithic monuments. And remember, you are not the only ones who want to enjoy this monument - please clean up after yourselves. I'm talking about plastic bags left around and small piles of gently
rotting fruit. After you have dedicated things, you
can take them away again - and perhaps give them away to people, a nice gesture.
And please don't draw on the stones - if you want to be an artist, go to art school.
Rick
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road