GIVEN the apocalyptic times we鈥檙e living in, you could be forgiven for having
missed this peculiarly English row. But I make no apologies for raising
it鈥攅specially since this weekend will be crucial to what happens next.
First some history. People have been arguing about the environs of Stonehenge
for at least a century鈥攁nd no wonder. Parliament labelled the site 鈥渁
national disgrace鈥� nearly 10 years ago, and it鈥檚 been getting worse. One of
Britain鈥檚 most precious and ancient monuments is a slur on our heritage and an
insult to tourism.
English Heritage, the National Trust and the highways agency have agreed to
close the smaller road at Stonehenge, which passes within an arm鈥檚 reach of the
Heelstone, the midsummer sunrise marker, and sink the larger road to the south
into a tunnel. The major works programme, scheduled for completion in 2006,
includes a new visitor centre designed by an Australian firm of architects. All
this was achieved after a decade of field studies, committee meetings and public
discussion, at considerable public and private expense.
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But the road protesters have not given up. At its AGM scheduled for this
weekend, the National Trust (which owns a substantial part of the Stonehenge
World Heritage Site) is being asked by a group of its members to stop the
tunnel. If this were to happen, we would risk losing the entire scheme.
I think this would be disastrous. The tunnel removes the sight and sound of a
very busy road鈥攁s an occasional broadcaster, I know it鈥檚 impossible to
stand among the stones and hear the land breathe above the noise of 24-hour
traffic. These vehicles are not going to go away. Nor, contrary to claims by the
protesters, is a tunnel likely to increase their numbers. And moving the road
would just displace the problem.
No, the road is a distraction. We should instead be worrying about the
proposed visitor centre to be located to the east, outside the World Heritage
Site. There should be more than toilets, shops and information panels. This is
the place for a proper Stonehenge Museum. There鈥檚 nowhere the public can go to
learn about Stonehenge from regularly changing displays. This seems especially
strange given the research effort centred on the monument, which now looks
likely to increase. Nor is there a museum able to curate the finds and records
generated by new work.
Archaeological material from work at Stonehenge is scattered, and needs a
home. Visitors need informing and entertaining with more than postcards. The
place to have the museum is where people, academics and the thing itself can
interact. In the new plans, the museum could benefit from the best in exhibition
technology and design, and contemporary architecture. Do we鈥攁nd
Stonehenge鈥攄eserve anything less?