Megalith 2013 -The Stonehenge & Avebury WHS Newsletter
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MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 Stonehenge and Avebury working Welcome together Welcome to this second The first Megalith focused edition of Megalith mainly on Stonehenge. (the first was produced for This second edition Stonehenge in June 2012). reflects recent changes in Megalith provides a the management of the snapshot of the work of WHS that aim to increase the World Heritage Site coordination between the (WHS) and its partners two halves of the Site. over the past year. This You can find out more edition is a joint newsletter about projects in both for both parts of the parts of the WHS and how Stonehenge and Avebury Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. are working more closely together while retaining We hope you enjoy their individual character in this edition of Megalith. this newsletter. Please contact us if you want to know more. Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 Following a recent review, changes have been agreed that will establish a coordinating group – the Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Partnership Panel - which will consist of senior representatives of Wiltshire Council, English Heritage and the National Trust as well as the chairs of the two local Steering Committees and a representative of the WHS research group. This group will coordinate actions affecting both parts of the Site, look at ways of resourcing the objectives of the WHS Management Plan and act as champions within their own organisations. The Stonehenge and Avebury Steering Photos © English Heritage Committees remain to ensure meaningful local input in decision making and management of the WHS. A new independent chair of the Partnership Panel Stonehenge and Avebury are listed will be recruited to act as a champion for the together as one World Heritage Site by whole WHS to help raise its profile and gain UNESCO. Each half encompasses additional support. a landscape of around 25 square kilometres with a wealth of outstanding Despite increased coordination in the prehistoric monuments and sites. management of the two halves of the WHS, the experience for visitors and residents on As a single WHS the reason for their the ground will remain very different: part of inscription is the same but there are the enormous charm of the WHS. If you some key differences. The most notable haven’t been to either Stonehenge or is probably the presence of people. Avebury then we recommend that you go While in the Avebury half of the WHS out and explore this summer. there are several thriving communities – even within the stone circle itself – at Sarah Simmonds Stonehenge the majority of people live Avebury WHS Officer on the edge of the WHS in Amesbury, Durrington and the Woodford Valley. Beth Thomas Stonehenge WHS Coordinator Although joint projects and informal coordination has taken place on a If you want to know more please regular basis between Stonehenge and feel free to contact us. Avebury there has been no formal link between the two halves of the WHS. 2 MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 The structure of the joint Stonehenge and The Stonehenge & Avebury Management Plan will reflect common themes, issues and objectives Avebury WHS across the WHS whilst allowing local Management Plan differences to be highlighted and addressed. In the last edition of Megalith we reported that Avebury was reviewing its Management Plan which was last revised in 2005. The Avebury WHS Officer has undertaken a good deal of consultation with residents, partners and colleagues working and living in the WHS and the wider public. Work on the update of the Sarah Simmonds and Beth Thomas at work on the revised Management Plan Avebury WHS Management Plan was due to Progress on the development of the be complete at the end of this year however Avebury element of the Plan will continue a decision was taken this spring by both the based on the outcomes of the recent review Avebury and Stonehenge Steering process. The timetable for production of the Committees to produce a joint Management final joint Plan will be extended to allow for Plan for the whole WHS. This joint completion of the review process at Management Plan will mean a more Stonehenge. Work is due to begin this coherent approach to managing the whole autumn on reviewing the Stonehenge World Heritage Site which reflects UNESCO Management Plan (2009). Visit our website advice on establishing greater coordination to find out how you can get involved in the across the different elements of a single consultation for the Stonehenge element of WHS. It also represents the best use of the Plan. It is hoped that work on the joint resources in a challenging economic climate. Management Plan will be complete by the end of 2014. 3 MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 “We both learned a mountain of information Community and have a whole new perspective on our cultural timeline, Neolithic life and problem- Workshops at the solving! We also thought that all of your experts, volunteers and guides were amazing Neolithic Houses, - it was very inspiring and we can't wait to Old Sarum watch the new phase unfold at Stonehenge.” (Family from Shrewton) Each Saturday in April 2013, whatever the Many families came to the events but it weather, local folks gathered to have a go at equally appealed to individuals who wanted some of the skills being used to trial the to have a go at some ancient crafts and skills prototype Neolithic Houses at Old Sarum. too. If you would like to see more about the project do visit the blog: English Heritage initiated this archaeological http://neolithichouses.wordpress.com experiment and plans to present these /community-workshops/ houses as part of the outdoor gallery at the new Stonehenge visitor centre. This trial, To be the first in the know about projects supported by Heritage Lottery Funding, like this one and free opportunities for locals included running open days for the public to get involved in heritage projects please and community and education workshops to contact me to find out about becoming a see not just how the houses might have Community Ambassador. In exchange for been built but also how people might like to your time in sharing our events with friends experience the houses when they are and family, we share a newsletter with you presented next year. alerting you to these events and offer you preview opportunities. It was great to get the local community involved in Lisa Holmes something practical that Stonehenge everyone could do and to Community Projects raise awareness about the Manager visitor centre. 254 people Lisa.Holmes@english- booked on to the heritage.org.uk community workshops during April with many happy customers who thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Ancient Technology Centre staff and English Heritage volunteers who had been doing the build. 4 English Heritage Photo © Lisa Holmes, MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 Photo © Lisa Holmes, English Heritage Photo © Lisa Holmes, Background photo © James O Davies, English Heritage Background photo © James O Davies, 5 MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 Beth Thomas worked with the assistance of Improvements to the ‘Wings over Stonehenge’ National Trust Major Alexander volunteer group, officers from Wiltshire Council and Larkhill’s Deputy Garrison Hewetson’s memorial, Commander, Lieutenant Colonel John Le Feuvre to work up a simple and cost Fargo Wood effective plan to tidy up the memorial in time for the centenary of his death in July. Local stonemason, Thomas Beattie removed the Hidden away at the side of the A344 at the graffiti and cleaned up the slate inscription edge of the Fargo Wood is a little known and the monument was given a more memorial to Major Alexander Hewetson of respectful setting with an edging of gravel 66th Battery Royal Artillery who died on with the help of several Larkhill based trainee 17 July 1913, an early casualty during the first soldiers and the Directing Staff lead, Sergeant days of army flying. Richard Kovolgyi. This June, six Phase Two soldiers under training from 24 (Irish) Battery of 14th Regiment Royal Artillery at the Royal School of Artillery, Larkhill volunteered to assist in a project to tidy up the memorial in time for the centenary of Major Hewetson’s death in July. Photo © Beth Thomas Photo © Beth Photo: Volunteers from The memorial to Major Hewetson will be Phase Two soldiers under very close to the proposed drop off point training of the 24 (Irish) Battery of 14th for the transport system between the new Regiment Royal Artillery visitor centre and Stonehenge. It is hoped from Royal Artillery that many more people will see the School, Larkhill pictured after improvements to monument to Major Hewetson and be the Major Alexander inspired to find out more about him and the Hewetson memorial at early history of flying here at Stonehenge. Fargo Wood. 6 MEGALITH Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Newsletter JULY 2013 Our new gallery will tell the story of New developments at Salisbury and the surrounding area from Salisbury Museum prehistoric times to the Norman Conquest.The museum’s collections include English Heritage, Wiltshire Museum and some of the finest archaeological discoveries outside a national museum in Britain, Salisbury Museum are all working in including artefacts from the Stonehenge partnership to present the story of World Heritage Site, the Pitt-Rivers Wessex Stonehenge. Not only will there be a new Collection and the Amesbury Archer. visitor centre at Stonehenge but both museums are improving their archaeology The museum has appointed Metaphor, the galleries to help tell the story of the people master planners, architects and exhibition and monuments of the Stonehenge World designers to complete our plans.