by Littlestone.
Tom Robinson
William Stukeley (1687-1765) felt sufficient disgust at the destruction of the stones at Avebury to parody farmer Tom Robinson by christening him “The Herostratus of Avebury” and producing this tailpiece for his Aubury book in 1743. On the left smoke rises from one of the burning pits where the stones were first heated and then dowsed with water to crack them. A bat hangs ominously above Robinson, while on his right a hag presides over the dark and tragic scene of even more stones awaiting destruction.
Tom Robinson’s headstone is in Avebury’s churchyard.
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16/10/2009 at 19:23
The Keeper
Thank you for that short but informative feature on Tom Robinson. Perhaps the church at Avebury, or the local authorities, could indicate where Tom Robinson’s grave actually is, accompanied by a brief explanation of who he was and what he did to the Avebury standing stones. No doubt those with more than a passing interest in Avebury would like to visit his grave, stand there for a while and reflect on the damage one man can inflict on a nation’s heritage.