Tuesday, 8 May 2018

Road tunnel plan to hide Stonehenge from those travelling on the A303 "severely flawed".


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.

* https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/02052018-icomos-uk-stonehenge-road-tunnel-criticised

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