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Comedian Bill Bailey and other comedians including Jo Brand and Lee Mack are walking along The Ridgeway to raise money for the fight against Cancer. Bill started on Monday and will arrive in Avebury on Saturday. He’s walking Westwards, against the prevailing wind because, he says “if I’m walking into the wind, my hair does that thing like a dog hanging out of the car window – I look better, much cooler.”
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He also commented that the Ridgeway was stunning – “a beautiful bit of old England which is surprisingly remote.”
To offer support, text BILL5 to donate £5 to 70404, BILL10 to donate £10 to 70404, or donate online at tinyurl.com/y82ky8ss
Land for Sale: [see here].
“The land offers itself for a variety of uses to include agricultural, amenity, equestrian and the potential for future residential development (subject to gaining planning permission)“
In normal circumstances, in most places, the possibility of residential development wouldn’t even be worth mentioning. But this is Shropshire …
Here’s Donald Trump dramatically throwing a 10,000 page environmental report on the floor saying “These binders could be replaced by just a few simple pages, it would be just as good. It would be much better.”
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It’s a salutary warning for Britain. Even the best, most authoritative advice can sometimes be ignored, given a strong enough agenda to do so.
Which brings us to Stonehenge:
It is to be hoped that following UNESCO’s ruling that a short tunnel is unacceptable, Highways England will not produce an amended short tunnel as their preferred route which is still a short tunnel.
Watch this space….
A Personal post by Alan S.
Regular readers will know of my love for all things Cornish – in particular the prehistoric heritage of the Duchy area, which has been covered here from time to time.
I am pleased to say that, although it took much longer than originally anticipated after my first visit to the area in 2002, I am finally moving from the smoke of London to reside in Cornwall!
My nearest major monument upon arrival at my destination will be a major tor enclosure, occupied between 3700 and 3400 BC. The tor is visible from miles around and is a major landmark in the area, partly due to a 90ft Celtic Cross, erected on the summit of the tor as a memorial to Francis_Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and Basset.
I’m talking of course, of Carn Brea, situated between Redruth and Camborne.
The site was excavated in the early 1970’s by Roger Mercer, when traces of platforms for Neolithic long houses were found within the ramparts. In fact, the excavations coined the use of a new site type, ‘tor enclosure’, of which several further examples have since been identified within Cornwall.
Over 700 leaf-shaped flint arrowheads found clustered around the main entrance to the enclosure have been interpreted as one of the earliest indications of ‘warfare’, evidence that the site was attacked by warriors armed with bows and there were also suggestions that the houses had been burned down.
The hilltop has been the site of human activity through many periods since, with finds of Bronze Age tools, Iron Age (and much later) mining activity, and even a small number of Roman period finds.
There is a well on the northern slopes which is related to a folk tale of a Giant, who picked a fight with another nearby Giant, ‘Bolster’ who lived on St Agnes Beacon. This story is duplicated throughout Cornwall – the Giants of Trencrom and St Michael’s Mount for instance having a similar tale of combat.
To say I’m excited to be moving to the area would be an understatement, and I look forward to bringing more news and stories of the Cornish prehistoric period to the Heritage Journal in future months.
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