You’ve probably all heard some of the terms to describe idiotic behaviour at various times of the year;

  • Mad as a March Hare
  • April Fool
  • Scatty as a Mayfly (ok I may have made that one up!)

But now that June has arrived, here in Cornwall it seems that the Midsummer Madness idiots really have come out en masse to cause as much havoc to our ancient heritage as they can.

Just five days into the month, and we have already heard of three major incidents of damage to sites in West Penwith.

Firstly, in an act of sheer bloody-minded vandalism, the Men Scryfa stone, which stands a few hundred yards from the famous Men an Tol, had what appears to be petrol poured over it, and set alight. Further, an attempt was made to dig the stone out! Luckily the perpetrators only got down a few inches before either giving up or being disturbed in their endeavours.

Photo by James Kitto

Secondly, on nearby higher ground – in fact, the highest point in West Penwith at Watch Croft – what appears to be a BBQ pit was dug. But it gets worse… As reported via Facebook:

I climbed up to the summit of Watch Croft last night to watch the sun set and the moon rise. It is a site of archaeological significance and is managed by the National Trust. I was very dismayed to see that someone had decided to have a BBQ there in the round rock shelter, and then dumped the coals into the foliage below, where spotted orchids are blooming. The coals appeared to have been live when dumped, and this is also a massive fire risk, particularly when conditions are so dry.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/137301386294086

To dig a pit in a SSSI is illegal. To then scatter hot coals onto an extremely dry moor environment after the recent good weather is just sheer madness and completely unforgivable!

Photo by Raven Grey

Thirdly, in a move which I can only imagine is motivated by economic greed, it’s been reported that some of the Swingate Stones have been uprooted. Sadly, these stones had no legal protection, so legally no crime has been committed, though a good case could be made for a moral crime! It’s not sure when the stones were removed, but sad that the issue came to light at this particular time.

Now, it may be a coincidence that the issues of damage occurred during what was a school half-term holiday, but it shows the need for constant vigilance and education. Sadly, it’s not possible to keep watch on all sites on a 24/7 basis, which is clearly what is needed when the heat scrambles people’s brains into such mind-numbing idiocy. But you can help:

When visiting our ancient sites, please report any damage as soon as possible. In Cornwall, we have the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network (CASPN), but in the absence of similar local groups in your area, please contact the local Archaeology Society, or those responsible for maintaining the Heritage Environment Record (usually the local council), and of course, the Police, as damage to ancient monuments is a Heritage Crime.