We took the above photograph at Avebury at the weekend having been struck by the number of visitors expressing puzzlement over why sheep were allowed where others weren’t.
We know that grazing is beneficial and that, as the National Trust says on its website, “Managing this fragile archaeological environment is a constant balancing act. Regular work includes monitoring sheep and cattle grazing, erosion control, scrub management and protecting buried remains from burrowing animals” but a word of explanation on their information boards would be helpful.
The same applies to English Heritage at Silbury. A few years ago a fortune was spent on new fencing and specially selected sheep were put on there. However, it looked to us that contrary to assurances they were creating a lot of damage and forming lots of new pathways (and that might well have been seen as a justification by some people to go on the Hill themselves). However, the tactics weren’t fully explained at the time and now the sheep seem to be missing and the fences aren’t being maintained.
At both venues a few words of explanation on the notice boards would be helpful. This is after all the Big Society!
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29/07/2011 at 18:17
Roy Goutte'
I’m under the impression that they have ‘given up’ with regard to the security on Silbury Hill, for no matter what they do it would seem Joe Public are still intent on climbing it. And why not you may ask as nobody actually seems to stop them. A friend visited for the first time last weekend not knowing anything about the Complex at all. She was coming down the path from the WKLB and said to her friend, ‘Let’s climb that hill over there that all those people are on’ and only realised it was a no-go area when they got there!
I have to admit to having climbed it twice in my early days but four months ago I officially asked EH twice if I could have permission to climb it purely for personal research purposes. It only involved filming and without a tripod, nothing else. I didn’t even get a reply. Is it any wonder therefore that others carry on regardless?