It seems that not everyone is as enthusiastic about the
proposed £1.6 billion A303 road tunnel at Stonehenge as the National Trust,
English Heritage and Historic England, the agencies which care for the ancient
site. According to the Museums
Association, Peter Marsden chairman of the International Council on Monuments
and Sites UK has suggested the project should be put on hold as it is “severely
flawed”.*
Sir Simon Jenkins, former chairman of the National Trust,
has also criticised the 1.8 mile tunnel in a letter to The Times. He, quite rightly
in my opinion, questions why those travelling on the A303 should be deprived of
an appreciative glimpse of the stones.
Below is his letter which I came across in the May 5 edition of The Week.
Don’t hide Stonehenge.
To The Times
There seems to be an assumption that Stonehenge belongs to
archaeologists and English Heritage.
Most people who enjoy the stones do so from vehicles on the A303. The stones look magnificent from this
distance. They have no need of close
inspection. They can be appreciated at a
glimpse, without need of visitor centres, car parks and multi-million pound
tunnels.
Why should the overwhelming majority of those who enjoy
Stonehenge be deprived of this pleasure at vast public expense to satisfy a
profession and a quango?
Sir Simon Jenkins,
National Trust chairman, 2008-2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment