Sunday 9 August 2015
Having maintained a silence for over a decade about damage to the stones at Stonehenge, it is in addition now known that English Heritage (EH) failed over the course of a year to inform the public about asbestos imported into the World Heritage Site. Compounding these long silences, EH somehow manages to avoid full frank public disclosure when confronted by the media. Which gives rise to various questions – not least why are EH inherently silent about the management of the site and what else are they being less than transparent about?
From tomorrow, Monday 10 August 2015, the Heritage Journal will be posing questions every day for a week – urging English Heritage to be transparent, issue full statements about matters of concern to the public and come clean when responding to the media.
(If you have a question you would like English Heritage to answer about their management of Stonehenge, send it in to the Journal, if publishable we will see what we can do!)
To see the questions put Stonehenge Questions in our search bar
The Heritage Journal 
7 comments
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09/08/2015 at 10:29
Jim Heathcote
I would like to know what the Health & Safety Executive have to say about the asbestos at Stonehenge, and EH response.
09/08/2015 at 11:45
Anthony harding
And how it was removed
09/08/2015 at 12:24
Stone 97
Stonehenge management have long been resistant to answering the most basic of questions posed to them. they refuse to answer or when confronted by telephone say they will pass on the requests for information and that is the last you will hear from them. They are unfit for purpose in this respect and many other areas of management, such as , for instance, adequate toilet provisioning near the monument.
09/08/2015 at 12:34
Ben Hambelton
Why do you still insist on keeping the ancestors behind glass on display lioe a fresk show when an overwhelming majority of the public believe they should lay at rest where they were found? Is it because you think you can exploit the dead as a cash cow? Would be different if it was your families!
09/08/2015 at 12:39
Kevin
From the Stonehenge Round Table. :o)
Dear Round Table Members,
Many of you may have seen reports in the press regarding asbestos at Stonehenge. I wanted to provide further information on this matter and address misleading press reports to alleviate any concerns you may have.
As you are probably aware, the Stonehenge Environmental Improvement Project closed the A344 in 2013 and landscaping improvement works commenced in 2014. As part of these works, a section of the now closed A344 has been returned to chalk grassland. During the works last year, inspections revealed that the topsoil laid by the contractors on this section did not meet the standards required by English Heritage. Given the importance of the project and the fact that the area concerned sits within a World Heritage Site, we insisted that the contractor replace the topsoil. To avoid any inconvenience to the public and our visitors, this work took place outside of normal visiting hours.
I would like to emphasise that as guardians of this unique historic site, English Heritage took this issue very seriously, and were very disappointed that the contractors failed to provide the specified topsoil. However, they accepted responsibility and were quick to resolve the issue. At no point was there any risk to health or the environment.
The reports over the weekend contain a number of sensational statements that do not accurately reflect the events of last year.
Again, I would like to emphasise that this issue is resolved.
Kind regards,
Kate
Kate Davies
General Manager, Stonehenge
English Heritage.
09/08/2015 at 13:43
Marie Hazzard
Why have EH never bothered to place signs up saying no entry without a valid ticket ?
27/08/2015 at 20:10
Craig Weatherhill
In 1988, and as Conservation Officer at Penwith District Council, Penzance, I wrote to EH expressing concern over the numbers of signifcant monument in the district that were still not Scheduled. They replied that a new programme of scheduling was under way for the area, to be completeed with 5 years. 5 years later, a reminder, and the same sort of response. Same again 10 years later.
I found out from a Cornwall AONB report issued in 2009 that EH had lied to the Council, through me, all along. In 1987, a year BEFORE my initial letter to them, EH decided to suspend all Scheduling in West Penwith, judging that the voluntary, non-statutory Environmentally Sensitive Area agri-environmental scheme was protection enough. No further Scheduling has ever occurred, so Bosporthennis Quoit, the Watch Croft menhir, several courtyard house sites and many other monuments remain without a scrap of legal protection.