What is it with off roaders, especially in Wales? This time it’s a Bronze Age village at Bendrick near Barry.  

According to archaeologist Karl-James Langford of the Archaeology Cymru  website, “…the site is rapidly deteriorating due to off-road biking and other activities by people who may be unaware of what is there”.

Mr Langford said he first became aware of the significance of the site when working as a volunteer excavating the land 25 years ago and the destruction is immense.  The Viking archaeology is almost all destroyed but the remains of a Bronze Age roundhouse are still visible. However he said that with no signs to warn people what is at the site nothing is being done to protect it and very soon it will be gone.

A spokesperson for The Vale of Glamorgan council said: “We will investigate whether any important remains are exposed and vulnerable and take expert advice accordingly.”

We wonder how much doubt there is that these remains (that seem to have been known about and visible for 25 years) are genuine, important, exposed, vulnerable and being destroyed? And how much time or expert advice does the Council need in order to convince themselves they ought to erect an information board explaining what’s there and why people shouldn’t ride motor cycles on it?