Megalith 2015

MEGALITH

JULY 2015 MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2015

NIO M O UN IM D R T IA A L

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Thank you to the following A I

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H O E M R I E people for assistance with text TA IN GE O PATRIM for this edition of Megalith: United Nations Stonehenge, Avebury (GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG and Associated Sites Cultural Organization inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986 Clare Blick Jess Trethowan Anneka Harris Patrick Cashman Ben Cooke Sarah Simmonds Nick Snashall Rose Somerset Gill Swanton David Dawson

Sarah Simmonds Avebury WHS Coordinator sarah.simmonds@wiltshire.gov.uk 077966 900 324

Beth Thomas Stonehenge WHS Coordinator [email protected] 07769 741 066

Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre Cocklebury Road Chippenham SN15 3QN 01225 718 470

www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org

@StoneAveWHS

Compiled by Beth Thomas

Published by Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Coordination Unit 2015

Supported by Historic England and Wiltshire Council MEGALITH JULY 2015 Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2015 Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter

Welcome Naturally cultural, culturally natural

Welcome to the fourth UNESCO has four categories of World edition of Megalith, the newsletter Heritage Site: cultural, natural, cultural of the Stonehenge and Avebury landscape and mixed. The Stonehenge and World Heritage (WHS). Avebury World Heritage Site is inscribed as It provides a snapshot of the work a cultural site but managing the “landscape carried out in both parts of the without parallel”, as Stonehenge and WHS over the past year and looks Avebury is described by UNESCO, forward to forthcoming events. inevitably means that conservation of the natural environment is key to the The World Heritage Site is managed protection of the hundreds of by a wide range of partners from archaeological features in the landscape. Wiltshire Council, English Heritage, Historic England, North Wessex The WHS Coordination Unit work closely Beth Thomas with a number of partners usually more Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Stonehenge WHS Coordinator Beauty and the National Trust associated with the natural environment Megalith to parish and town councils and than the historic. In this edition of we feature a number of projects focusing individual landowners. on the wildlife and landscape of the WHS. These include: the RSPB’s “Magnificent If you want to find out more Meadows” project at Normanton Down; about the work of the WHS why the bird survey carried out in 2014; the not take a look at our website habitat survey undertaken by the Wiltshire www.stonehengeandaveburywhs. Wildlife Trust for the WHS in 2014; and org or follow us on Twitter information on developments at Fyfield @StoneAveWHS. Down in Avebury.

We hope that you enjoy this This edition of Megalith covers a wide edition of Megalith. Please contact range of subjects and introduces the new us if you want to know more. Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Management Plan 2015, the first joint Management Plan for the WHS. We do hope that you enjoy reading this Sarah Simmonds Avebury WHS Coordinator year’s edition of Megalith. Please contact us if you require any further information about any of the projects mentioned. Maps © English Heritage

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Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015

The first joint Stonehenge and Avebury The Plan is organised into four parts with The most significant issues affecting the WHS Management Plan was launched on supporting information in the form of WHS are: 18 May 2015. The purpose of the appendices and maps: Management Plan is to protect and sustain n Sustaining the OUV of the WHS for the Outstanding Universal Value of the Part One: The Management Plan and the present and future generations World Heritage Site for this and future significance of the Stonehenge and Avebury generations. The Plan also takes into WHS includes a description of its n Providing adequate protection of the account other interests such as access, Outstanding Universal Value and other values WHS and it setting through the planning interpretation, nature conservation, farming as well as the policy and management system education, research and the needs of the context and an assessment of the 2005/2009 local community. Management Plans; n Continuing reversion to grassland and ensuring renewal of existing agreements Within the UK, Management Plans provide Part Two: Key management issues and the overarching strategy for the management opportunities; n Improving the condition of the of the WHS. They are a material monuments under threat from burrowing consideration in planning decisions and Part Three: Aims and policies; animals, scrub and tree cover. provide an advisory framework for guiding management initiatives. Management Plans Part Four: Implementing the Plan. this n Enhancing the ecological value of the area are endorsed by the Department of Culture, includes a table of aims, policies and actions Media and Sport (DCMS), and referred to setting out priorities, lead and key partners n Reducing the adverse impact of roads on UNESCO. and outputs/success measures. the WHS, its attributes of OUV and ability to explore the landscape The Plan identifies 61 management issues The Plan establishes an overall vision for the The Plan was developed in consultation with agreed by WHS partners and stakeholders n Monitoring the impacts of tourism and long term future of the Stonehenge and a wide range of partner organisations and and discusses them in detail. These formed managing this sustainably Avebury WHS and sets out aims, policies individuals through a wide ranging public the basis for the development of the aims and actions for the positive management of consultation process. We look forward to and policies for the management of the n Improved interpretation of the WHS the WHS in partnership with landowners, implementing the Plan over the next six WHS as well as the 178 related actions set particularly the outlying monuments and the farmers, relevant agencies and organisations years with the help of those partners. in the local community. out in the Plan. landscape as a whole The full plan and a summary can be The issues fall into eight main themes: n Encouraging sustainable research and downloaded at planning and policy; boundaries of the WHS; education www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org/manag conservation; visitor management and ement-of-whs/stonehenge-and-avebury- sustainable tourism; interpretation, learning n Funding and resourcing the coordination whs-management-plan-2015/ and community engagement; roads and of the WHS and implementation of the traffic; research; management, liaison and Management Plan monitoring.

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Avebury WHS Transport Strategy Volunteering in the World Heritage Site

The Avebury WHS Transport Strategy is now complete. This is the first such document produced for a UK World Heritage Site and represents an innovative blueprint for best practice in an internationally protected landscape. The Strategy provides a holistic approach to managing the impacts of roads and traffic in the World Heritage Site and maximising the ease and enjoyment with which visitors and local people can explore this magnificent World Heritage landscape. These partners include the North Wessex Downs AONB who jointly funded the The Transport Strategy addresses the Strategy with Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire challenges related to the management of Police, English Heritage, the National Trust roads and traffic in the Avebury part of the and Wiltshire Council Highways, World Heritage Site. These challenges Archaeology Service and conservation include direct damage to monuments and officer. Avebury Parish Council has helped their setting as well as impacts on the to shape the World Heritage Site experience of visitors and the day to day Transport Strategy as members of the task Phil Andrews explaining the excavation at Barrow Clump to volunteers and finish group and through their lives of the local community. The Strategy Many of the partners working in the WHS Recent events have included a trip to the proposes a series of recommended Avebury Parish Traffic Plan which has fed into its recommendations. offer volunteering opportunities in a wide Barrow Clump excavation near Figheldean in schemes to overcome these challenges range of activities from working outdoors to July last year and a sneak preview of the while maintaining an efficient transport The next steps will be to review the conservation work, and from assisting with Wish You Were Here exhibition at the network and access for local people and education work to room stewarding. Stonehenge Visitor Centre in April 2015. visitors. It also provides a set of Design recommendations and draw up detailed schemes. These will need to go through The latter event was attended by volunteers Principles to ensure that any proposed The WHS works with its partners through who work with the National Trust at changes related to highways within the a process of public consultation to help ensure that we satisfy the need to protect a group called the Stonehenge and Avebury Avebury some of whom had not visited the World Heritage Site are sensitive to its Learning and Outreach Group (SALOG for new Visitor Centre before. unique characteristics. and enhance the WHS while meeting the needs of visitors and the local community. short!). The WHS Coordination Unit has helped to facilitate recruitment events and Volunteers enjoy the opportunity to hear WHS partners have worked alongside the also social activities, known as Volunteers about the latest news from WHS partners, Council’s consultants Atkins to produce this You can find the Avebury WHS Transport Strategy online at Together, for the hundreds of volunteers meet new people and swap experiences. document which was signed off by the who help out. If you think that you might like to learn a Avebury World Heritage Site Committee in www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org/ avebury-whs-transport-strategy/ new skill or meet new people why not take December 2014. a look at the Stonehenge and Avebury WHS website to find out more about what our partners have to offer?

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Community Digs Deep to Help Archaeologists Dig Deeper at Avebury

Stonehenge & Avebury World Heritage Site You can catch up with last year’s discoveries aficionados will know that for the past two and get daily updates from the trenches summers a team of us have been excavating when we’re digging on our FragmeNTs blog on a prehistoric site next to the West Kennet http://ntarchaeostonehengeaveburywhs.word Avenue at Avebury. press.com/blog/ or follow our progress during the dig on our Twitter feed The dig is part of Between the Monuments, a @AveburyNT #AveburyDig. Better still collaborative research project with funds, come and take a look for yourselves. We’ll be expertise and support coming from the running daily dig tours starting from the Barn Universities of Southampton and Leicester, Gallery of the Alexander Keiller Museum in the National Trust and Allen Environmental the Old Farmyard at Avebury, and our team Archaeology. We’re exploring the Avebury of volunteers will be down on the dig site to landscape to discover what people were share our latest discoveries with you. doing and where they were living at the time monuments like West Kennet long barrow And finally a heartfelt thank you to everyone and Avebury henge and stone circles were (the list is long, but you know who you being built and used. are…) who has given their time, energy and Photo © Nick Snashall cash to ensure we have the opportunity to Between the Monuments Excavation 2014 © National Trust Archaeological fieldwork and the many write another chapter in Avebury’s months of work and specialist study that astonishing story. follow aren’t cheap and when we finished last year’s dig we weren’t certain we would Nick Snashall, National Trust be able to fund another year of excavation. That’s when the local community stepped in and offered to raise the additional funds to ensure we could dig for a final year on the West Kennet Avenue occupation site first discovered by Alexander Keiller in 1934. So with the help of a host of fantastically generous local organisations and individuals we’re going to be back digging this year (every day except Fridays) between Monday 20 July and Friday 7 August. Photo © Mike Robinson Photo © Mike Five thousand year old Fengate Ware pottery from last year’s dig © National Trust

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Robin and Ben are keen to share what they do with others through initiatives such as the Marlborough Downs Nature Improvement Area and Open Farm Sunday which takes place on the first Sunday in June each year.

There are problems for them, many of them common to farmers across the WHS and beyond. These include dogs chasing and attacking sheep which can lead to aborted lambs and lost animals and also the parasite Neospora which is carried in dog faeces and can lead to infertility and lost foetuses in cows. If you are walking your dog in the Ben and Robin Butler at the Longstones Panel in Avebury Trusloe countryside, particularly on arable land, We went to visit father and son, Robin and please pick up after your dog. All farmers Farming in the WHS Ben Butler who farm in the western portion would also ask that you follow the of the Avebury WHS. Robin’s grandfather Countryside Code by: leaving gates and Our habitat survey last year calculated that moved from Hampshire and bought the farm property as you find them; following paths around 75% of the WHS is in intensive with the help of his brothers in 1936. unless wider access is available; leaving no agriculture and so farming and farmers are Robin has recently handed over the business trace of your visit; taking your litter home key to the management of the WHS. Since to his son who is the fourth generation of and keeping dogs under effective control. 2002 Natural England, English Heritage Butlers to be farming in Avebury. (now Historic England) and the WHS Coordinators have worked together to The Butlers are very passionate about the improve the protection of the monuments conservation of the environment and they The Butlers are proud of the important of the World Heritage Site by returning have cover for tree sparrows, corn bunting work that they do in producing food in a arable land to pasture. Around 242 hectares and grey partridge, all key farmland bird responsible way with consideration for both have been returned to grassland under species. They also allow margins for ground the natural and historic environment. successive agri-environmental schemes and nesting birds such as skylarks. Working in This area has been removed from cultivation to protect the very this is now providing calcareous grassland partnership with Natural England and the sensitive archaeology in the area. which is improving the bio-diversity of WHS Coordination Unit, an attractive the WHS. information panel was installed last year at the Longstones in Avebury Trusloe.

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Vale of Pewsey Archaeological New Publications for Wildlife Around Research Project: the Bit In-between 2015 Stonehenge

The Vale of Pewsey project is a collaborative A suite of palaeoenvironmental investigations Historic England’s An attractive leaflet was produced in project between the University of Reading, along the River Avon will also provide new book 2014 by the RSPB in partnership with the Historic England (formerly English Heritage) important information on past hydrology The Stonehenge National Trust Stonehenge Landscape and Wiltshire Museum, Devizes. The project and the environment of the area. The Vale Landscape has come Team. The aim of the leaflet is to help is partly funded by an Arts and Humanities of Pewsey represents a gap in our knowledge out of the visitors to the WHS to explore the amazing Research Council (AHRC) grant and will and this project will retrieve substantial and Stonehenge (WHS) wildlife around Stonehenge. It provides support the University of Reading’s highly significant data, firmly placing this Landscape project, information on the different kinds of habitat Archaeology Field School. It aims to landscape within its surrounding WHS the aim of which was to ensure that there understand the role of the Vale of Pewsey context. At the same time, the project will was a full, up-to-date record and and the wildlife found in each one. The landscape throughout time (from prehistory counterbalance the traditional chalk based understanding of all upstanding leaflet can be downloaded in advance of to the post-medieval period), and go some ‘Wessex models’ for prehistory by looking archaeological monuments within the WHS. your visit from the National Trust website: way to linking the Stonehenge landscape at the low-lying sandy valley landscape This is the first time that the earthworks and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stonehenge- to the south with the Avebury landscape in-between. Fieldwork in the Vale will be to the north. undertaken during June and July this year. surrounding monuments have been surveyed landscape/wildlife/. by archaeologists to modern standards. During the course of the excavations the The research led to the identification of project will investigate a Neolithic building For more information previously unknown sites and, perhaps more surface previously exposed during earlier https://www.reading.ac.uk/field-school/ importantly, the re-interpretation of known excavations in 2010. sites, including Stonehenge itself. The book focuses on all prehistoric and historic periods including the later history of the landscape. The later history includes medieval remains, the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the role of the Stonehenge Landscape in early Aviation History.

Historic England is delighted to offer readers of Megalith 20% discount and free post and packing (in UK only) on The Stonehenge Landscape by Mark Bowden, Sharon Soutar, Martyn Barber and David Field. (rrp £30). Please telephone 01235 465577 or email [email protected] and quote reference number 72207220150005 to take advantage of this offer and get your copy for £24. Offer expires 31st December 2015.

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The Wiltshire Museum is home to much Saxons at the more than just its prehistoric collections. A chance to hold the Wiltshire Museum It has opened a new Gallery to tell the story past in your hand of the making of the Kingdom of Wessex. The story is brought to life by - handle a maul or The Wiltshire Museum in photographs of the handle 'em all! Devizes is home to many of the Wulfheodenas re-enactor archaeological finds from the group who have been inspired WHS. It opened its prehistoric by the finds from local galleries in October 2013 and cemeteries near Pewsey and In Spring 2015 visitors to Stonehenge had a no visit to the WHS would be at Figheldean. They have used chance to meet English Heritage’s Museum complete without a trip to see these finds to re-create the Partners and discover and touch ancient the Gold From the Time of weapons, jewellery and artefacts found in the landscape around the Stonehenge exhibition. costumes worn by Pagan monument over past centuries. These Saxons who lived in about handling sessions, run by Wiltshire Museum AD 550. One of the and The Salisbury Museum, offered a unique Arwen James Photo © re-enactors is Mark Routledge, opportunity for visitors of all ages to learn who is now Learning and about and get hands on with these incredible Outreach Assistant at the Museum. He is objects which help to put Stonehenge into using his in depth knowledge of the Saxon context. period to develop a teachers pack to help

Photo © David Dawson schools make the best use of the gallery and The museums brought along a range of to develop a range of outreach sessions for objects representing the wealth of schools. Stonehenge finds in their collections - including mauls used for shaping the stones The gallery features the gold jewellery buried and picks that were used for digging the with a lady, thought to be an Abbess, who ditches at the monument. Visitors were able was buried on Roundway Down, close to to handle replicas of gold jewellery and Devizes. Her body was laid on a wooden bronze daggers, as well as real prehistoric bed, and she wore gold jewellery, including a stone and flint tools. pair of pins, linked by a chain with a roundel at the centre that bears a Christian cross. The handling sessions enabled us to tell a fascinating story of Stonehenge - being able The story continues with King Alfred and his to touch some of the actual tools and fight back against Viking invaders and the objects associated with Stonehenge was a displays feature a new discovery – a Viking chance not to be missed. These sessions Arwen James Photo © gold ring that may have been lost as the brought the past to life at Stonehenge in a Viking army fled back to Chippenham after totally hands on way. their defeat at the Battle of Edington. Find out more about the museums http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk The gallery was designed by Chris Hudson, and funded by Arts Council http://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/ England, celebrating this nationally important Designated Museum.

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Photo © National Trust / John Miller

On 1st December 2014 the Government The project will also evaluate the impact of It should be noted announced an intention to dual the A303 any proposed scheme on archaeology from that the competent from Amesbury to Berwick Down, with a other periods which may be unrelated to the authorities of the State twin bored tunnel of at least 1.8 miles Outstanding Universal Value of the WHS Party of the United (2.9km) within the WHS. This is part of such as Roman, Medieval or even more Kingdom of Great Britain a number of proposed improvements to recent military archaeology. and Northern Ireland, the A303/A30/A358 corridor and one of as well as the Advisory several projects in the National The announcement on 1st December 2014 Bodies to the World Infrastructure Programme to tackle some was a financial commitment but the Heritage Convention of the long standing bottlenecks on the necessary planning permissions still need to (ICOMOS, ICCROM, strategic road network and aid Britain’s be obtained through a Development IUCN) and the World economic recovery. Consent Order. Highways England (the new Heritage Centre are fully name for the Highways Agency) will have to informed of the concerns As the project team look at various options consult widely. Further announcements will raised by the citizens’ they will need to consider a number of be made as the project progresses. campaign. The project is

issues. These will include the impact on the It is hoped that work will start work by April Photo © Historic England being very seriously natural environment and the local 2020 but in the meantime Highways England considered by all parties community and economy as well as the are committed to monitoring the UNESCO announced: and is being monitored according to the significance of the World Heritage Site. performance of the A303 and look for ways “Over the last several months, the World Operational Guidelines for the Implementation to improve its operational efficiency and Heritage Centre has received numerous of the World Heritage Convention.” The evaluation of the impact on the WHS safety. messages from citizens and NGOs expressing will look at how schemes affect the their concern regarding the A303 tunnel Outstanding Universal Value of the WHS UNESCO, the organisation that both project, located within the boundaries of the which includes its many archaeological inscribes and monitors World Heritage Sites, World Heritage property “Stonehenge, features and their settings. This will include made an announcement on 19 May 2015 Avebury and Associated Sites”, and the features discovered by the Hidden regarding this scheme as many individuals adverse impact it may have on the landscape, Landscapes Project which have appeared on and groups have contacted them. archaeological remains, and hydrogeology and television recently. ecology of the site.

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30th Anniversary of the Stonehenge Alexander Keiller and Avebury World Heritage Site Museum, Avebury 1986 – 2016

In November 1986 the UNESCO World The Museum was founded in 1938 by The Alexander Keiller Museum is made up Heritage Committee inscribed the first seven Alexander Keiller, who excavated in and of two parts: the Stable Gallery which sites from the UK on the World Heritage around Avebury in the 1920s and 1930s. The houses Alexander Keiller’s collection and the Site List. Those sites were: Castles and Town original building housing the Museum was Barn Gallery which has an interactive Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd; Durham bought by the National Trust in 1943 and exhibition featuring not only more Castle and Cathedral; Giant's Causeway and almost immediately placed in the care of the information on the prehistoric history of Causeway Coast; Ironbridge Gorge; St Kilda; state under a Guardianship agreement Avebury but more modern history and Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of (under which the National Trust retained the information on Alexander Keiller’s colourful Fountains Abbey and Stonehenge, Avebury ownership of the building). The collections life including his car! and Associated Sites. were given to the nation in 1966 by the widow of Alexander Keiller. Since 1994 the You can follow the Museum and other The Convention concerning the Protection Museum has been managed by the National aspects of the work of the National Trust at of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Trust under a 25 year Local Management & Avebury on their blog FragmeNTs or on (the World Heritage Convention) was Loan Agreement with English Heritage. Its Twitter @AveburyNT ratified in 1972. Since then 191 State Parties staffing is provided by the National Trust. have signed up to the Convention with the UK ratifying it in 1984. In 1985 nomination documents were prepared by the UK Government for submission to the World Heritage Committee and the first seven Sites were officially accepted in November 1986. Since then a further 21 UK Sites have been added including three Sites in Overseas Territories.

Photo © Historic England Stonehenge and Avebury WHS is currently planning to celebrate our 30th anniversary next year. At Stonehenge and Avebury we To find out more about UNESCO and plan to work with our partners to hold a World Heritage please see number of events including talks, tours and a http://whc.unesco.org/ conference in November 2016. More details will be posted on our website as they are To find out more about World Heritage in confirmed. the UK please see http://worldheritageuk.org Photo © Ros Cleal National Trust Photo © Ros Cleal National

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2015 MEGALITH 2015 JULY Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY Photo © Robert Allbright Photo © Robert

If you’d like to know more, the local AONB News from the North Partnership will be pleased to come and talk Wessex Downs Area to local groups about what makes the area special and what the designation means for of Outstanding Natural the people who live and work here. The talk covers the geology and then looks Beauty at the influence that people have had on the landscape and the special habitats that the area provides for wildlife. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is the A short film is currently being produced to third largest AONB in the country and Photo © David Hall showcase all that the area has to offer and includes vast dramatic chalk downlands, will be available from the end of June 2015. nationally significant chalk grassland, wooded

Avenue photo © HistoricAvenue England plateau, arable lands and valleys all rich in For more information contact biodiversity and cultural heritage. [email protected]. The Avebury World Heritage Site is one of the jewels in its crown.

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The World Heritage Site and the Marlborough Downs Nature Improvement Area

The Marlborough Downs Nature Improvement Area (MDNIA) ran from April 2013 until March 2015. The area involved Photo © Ben Cooke Natural England Natural Photo © Ben Cooke largely overlaps with the eastern side of the Avebury part of the WHS. The MDNIA was Over the coming months we plan to accepted under a competitive scheme Fyfield Down establish a new volunteer group to assist in administered by Natural England and was the National Nature managing the two north Wiltshire NNR’s only successful applicant in the first tranche (Fyfield Down and Pewsey Downs). The to be farmer-led. There was a bottom-up Reserve Update group will support Natural England staff in approach with a large element of voluntary carrying out practical conservation work contribution. The overarching objective was such as clearing scrub from around sarsen to create strategic policies and encourage Ben Cooke North Wiltshire Reserve best practice for landscape scale nature

stones and restoring ponds. Photo © Colin Shell Manager for Natural England writes: I should conservation. Many of the participating farms start by introducing myself; I have been Also commencing this summer is an exciting were already in Natural England’s Higher appointed to the post of North Wiltshire Level Stewardship schemes, encouraged by The two organisations have much in project to develop a downloadable audio Reserve Manager for Natural England and their location within the WHS which is a common: landscape character, public trail for Fyfield Down. Natural England staff am now the first point of contact for the target area for stewardship schemes. enjoyment, access, community involvement, National Nature Reserve (NNR) at Fyfield hope to capture some of the immense outreach and education. Two Swindon Down. The NNR lies within the Marlborough accumulated knowledge of archaeologist schools participated in curriculum-related Downs Nature Improvement Area and has Professor Peter Fowler, who directed the projects - the WHS Avenue to Learning been part of the World Heritage Site since Fyfield and Overton project between 1959 and a workshop to build Tree Sparrow nest 2008. and 1998. boxes within the NIA. Photo © Colin Shell The WHS had a presence at the first two My arrival coincides with the acquisition of If you are interested in volunteering at Fyfield Open Farm Sundays run by the MDNIA. the majority of Fyfield Down NNR by a local Down and/or Pewsey Downs please contact Visitors (some 800 at each event) were farming family who have introduced cattle Ben Cooke by emailing interested to look at the historic farming grazing to the Down. This is great news for background of the landscape. At the 2015 the conservation of the nature reserve as [email protected] or by calling 07776227068. Open Farm event we introduced the new cattle grazing helps to maintain a more Management Plan as well as ancient cereals varied vegetation structure and in the long and antler picks. term will assist in restoring the grassland to flower rich downland.

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RSPB - New homes Community Community Ambassadors for butterflies at Stonehenge Update from Community Ambassadors help us tell local people about heritage events in Wiltshire. English Heritage Ambassadors receive newsletters containing Leading the work at Stonehenge are the information about English Heritage learning RSPB who manage the Normanton Down and the Stonehenge programmes as well as events at Salisbury nature reserve on private farmland for Museum, Wiltshire Museum, National Trust ground nesting birds and downland wildlife. Visitor Centre and Wessex Archaeology. Becoming a RSPB Site Manager, Patrick Cashman, writes Community Ambassador is a great way of “These barrows already support fragments The opening of the Stonehenge Visitor supporting us if you have little time on your of a once more widespread flower-rich Centre in 2013 has created new ways hands. So, if you are a communicative downland landscape, and we are taking this for local communities to connect with individual, who is always organising outings opportunity to top them up with key with family and friends, then this is for you.

Photo © RSPB the extraordinary history at butterfly food plants, so their warm southern Stonehenge. We always encourage Hundreds of wildflowers have been planted flanks can become new homes for butterflies local communities to come and visit on four Bronze Age barrows at Normanton from nearby Salisbury Plain and help provide the site, but there are other ways that Down just across the A303 from stepping stones into the wider landscape”. you can get involved. Stonehenge. These flowers include the classic chalk grassland herbs; kidney and horseshoe Volunteering Opportunities vetch, common rockrose, wild thyme, Photo © English Heritage dropwort, harebell, small scabious and English Heritage is looking for devil’s-bit scabious.The wildflowers were volunteers to take on a variety of collected as seed from nearby Salisbury Plain exciting volunteering roles at and grown on by Heritage Seeds. They have Stonehenge and Old Sarum: been specially chosen as they are the main Photo © RSPB food plants of the caterpillars of iconic chalk n Neolithic House Volunteer downland butterflies, such as the chalkhill n Education Volunteer Volunteers at Stonehenge blue, adonis blue, brown argus and marsh n Stonehenge Exhibition Volunteer fritillary. Community Box For more information on these opportunities The work is part of the Save our Magnificent please visit: www.english- Meadows project, a partnership of 11 Do you run a local community group heritage.org.uk/volunteering, email: organisations, led by Plantlife, who are and would like to learn more about [email protected] carrying out work across the UK to help Stonehenge? Then book our or call: 01793 445009

transform the fortunes of vanishing Photo © RSPB Community Box and one of our meadows, grasslands and wildlife. The knowledgeable volunteers will come project is targeting just under 6,000 hectares We are delighted to see the historic and deliver an exciting talk for you of wildflower meadows and grasslands in monuments being treasured for their relict with replica objects. Or, if you would nine strategic landscapes across the UK, ancient grassland, and having their profile like to borrow the box and deliver including Wiltshire. The project is primarily raised as a resource to help reconnect the your own talk, that’s fine too. funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). natural and historic landscape.

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These records were then overlaid on a single The mixed farming that these grasslands Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Bird Survey 2014 map for each tetrad to show apparently promote (arable areas produce winter feed occupied territories (birds recorded in same and bedding for livestock) is one of the main area on both surveys) and possible reasons these areas are so important for territories (birds recorded in one survey only, farmland birds. Wiltshire is in the area where In 2014 as part of the development of the with no definite breeding behaviour). The largely pastoral farming to the west meets Management Plan 2015 we carried out the maps within this report show the maximum the largely arable areas to the east. It is first ever bird survey of the whole of the count of individuals from a single survey visit important to retain this as much as possible World Heritage Site. This survey was carried by tetrad. By using raw count data, the maps to support the wildlife as well as the farmers out by Nick Adams with the support of the are more straightforward to repeat and who farm there. RSPB and funded by Historic England. remove any subjectivity should they be repeated in the future by a different surveyor If you are interested in finding out more We decided to concentrate on important who may have different views on what about the bird survey please contact the species for the habitats within the WHS. constitutes a territory. Stonehenge and Avebury WHS The species selected were as follows: Coordination Unit. Photo © Tom Marshall Tom Photo © lapwing, corn bunting, grey partridge, tree Yellowhammer The surveys show that both Avebury and sparrow, yellow wagtail, turtle dove, linnet, Stonehenge WHS are valuable areas for yellowhammer, quail, Montagu’s harrier, farmland birds and can be easily considered kestrel, barn owl, redshank, common curlew, to be of national importance. This is very common snipe, stone-curlew and great good news for future management of the bustard. Due to the sheer number of birds WHS, as it gives more options to obtain present, species such as skylark and meadow funding to protect both the natural and pipit were not mapped to ensure as full historic environment. coverage as possible in the time available. A full list of species encountered was The new Countryside Stewardship schemes recorded, including breeding behaviour by are offering funding for biodiversity and a tetrad. number of these options might provide Photo © Andy Hay Photo © protection to archaeology as well, the Andy Hay Photo © The priority species were surveyed twice by Stone curlew obvious example would be calcareous Lapwing tetrad (2km x 2km squares) during the grassland creation options. Wiltshire holds breeding season once in April/May and once the two largest areas of this rare habitat in in June/July. The routes chosen stick to Northwest Europe (Salisbury Plain and public footpaths, permissive footpaths and Porton Down) and any schemes to link up land with public access, this means that the remnant areas are likely to be looked at survey should be easily repeatable. positively. Not every individual bird in a tetrad was recorded, but this method produced a repeatable survey that would show any trends in population changes in the future if

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2014 Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Habitat Survey

At the same time as the WHS Bird Survey a The Survey showed that around 75% of the Phase 1 Habitat Survey was also carried out WHS is under intensive agricultural which provided a baseline for future nature management. The next most abundant conservation work. The survey was carried habitat was calcareous grassland with a total out by Rob Large of the Wiltshire Wildlife of 322 hectares. The majority (242ha) of this Trust with funding from Historic England. was reversion grassland which has been The surveys were carried out in April and sown under agri-environment schemes May 2014. funded by Natural England specifically aimed at improving bio-diversity. The total The entire site of 5150ha, was initially percentage of more biodiverse land use is mapped from rights of way and then more 16% or 743ha. These include broadleaved detailed botanical surveys were undertaken woodland and marshy grassland. where conditions indicated species-rich habitats might be present.

We are tremendously grateful for Rob’s work and hope that this will provide an excellent baseline to monitor habitat changes and inform potential projects in the future.

If you would like to find out more please contact the WHS Coordination Unit.

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Curator and archaeologist Julian Richards New Stonehenge writes: “Anyone visiting Stonehenge today is exhibition to tell the part of a long tradition. I am fascinated by how Stonehenge has been experienced by story of monument as visitors over the years and the way in which it has been used as an inspiration for art and a tourist attraction music. I have been collecting ‘Stonehengiana’ for years, and I am delighted that the A new exhibition at Stonehenge opened on collection is now to appear at its natural Photo © Wiltshire Swindon History Centre/ J Fuller Photo © 1 May 2015 and looks at another side of An Amesbury resident at the turnstile for Stonehenge, 1935 home. There are things here that I hope will the famous stone circle – its history as a Photo © English Heritage make visitors smile. Welcome to the Curator Julian Richards places a Victorian photo tourist attraction – with an array of album of Stonehenge in the display case Postcards went on sale in the early 1900s wonderful world of Stonehenge” fascinating objects from the past few and from that point on, cards in sepia, lurid centuries on display. ‘tints’, black and white, and full colour document the changing face of Stonehenge Highlights of the exhibition include the very and its surroundings. From the 1970s first Stonehenge guidebook, printed in 1823, onwards, the growing international the iconic Spinal Tap shaped LP, and an array recognition of Stonehenge saw the iconic of memorabilia ranging from a Great stone circle spawn an eclectic range of art, Trilithon-shaped toasting fork to postcards music and popular culture. through the decades. Photo © English Heritage Stonehenge may have been considered a A ceramic shoe with the image of Stonehenge tourist attraction as early as the Roman period, and medieval people certainly visited Stonehenge General Manager Kate Davies the site - describing it as one of the wonders said: “We are very excited to launch Wish You of the world. The Wish You Were Here Were Here and tell the more recent history

exhibition begins with Stonehenge in Photo © English Heritage of Stonehenge – as the place visitors have Victorian times and traces its development The first guidebook to Stonehenge, printed in 1823 long been inspired by. We want today’s through war and peace and the post-war visitors to take away a real sense of fun from years, both as a tourist attraction and global this exhibition and hope that they are icon. Wiltshire Swindon History Centre/ J Fuller Photo © inspired to share their experiences – Stonehenge becomes a fashionable photographic location whether by traditional postcard or by social Though an isolated ruin in the 19th Century, media.” the ancient monument saw enough visitors to warrant the production of the first guide Wish You Were Here at Stonehenge visitors books and souvenirs. The 20th Century saw and exhibition centre will run until March an admission charge introduced in 1901 to 2016. Admission is included in the entry price for Stonehenge. Visitors are invited to

address the cost of increasing amounts of Photo © English Heritage damage and to help pay for a police Photo © English Heritage share their experiences on social media with ivory envelope opener with an image of Stonehenge. the hashtag #stonehengewishyouwerehere. constable. A ceramic plate showing Stonehenge

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