Intensive grazing for TEN years? When, in the dim, distant past (certainly well before World War I and probably earlier)grazing did take place on thse moorland areas, it was restricted to a few summer months per year only.

Note the term "these heathland areas". Parts of each area are indeed heathland but nowhere near their full extent which carries a large variety of naturally developed moorland types. What will happen to the valuable areas of cottongrass? Will tormentil be crowded out by the newly introduced heather (which will not allow any smaller flora to grow)? What about the ground nesting birds which flourish in the existing habitat? I don't see any of these questions even being addressed, let alone answered.

As for archaeology; standing monuments such as the Tregeseal Circle and the Nine Maidens will attract the cattle which will see them as convenient rubbing stones. In no time, each stone will be surrounded by a muddy, often water-filled crater which will undermine each until they topple. At the Tregseal circle are two stones that I can move by hand, so they won't stand a chance. I have already metioned the expensive operation at the Trippet Stones on Bodmin Moor to rectify cattle damage – work carried out by the colleagues of the archaelogist who thinks that this proposed use will be "beneficial" to the archaeology. In what way does she see this beneficial? Oh, that some sites need to be cleared every four or five years? There is already an admirable voluntary organisation that does that, costing the public not a penny. Why doesn't the farmer/landowner do it? The state doesn't subsidise them to do so. The important point is that these sites and all the others on the threatened areas of land do not suffer from cattle damage, as there are no cattle. Yet.

Strange, too, that I have, over the last 48 hours, looked out a great many photographs of these same areas, taken from the 1880s to the 1920s. The natural habitat and vegetation cover looks much the same as today but common to them all is the absolute lack of livestock.

The Nine Maidens never needs clearance, being on a ridgetop and standing in waterlogged moorgrass. Of course, it has the recently re-erected stone, upside down and wrong way round – work done by, well, the very same archaeologist who is making these ridiculous claims.

edited by: marhak, Jul 05, 2008 – 02:50 PM

Most think that the sun shines out of the NT's arse though.

Has anybody contacted Cornwall Friends of the Earth: http://www.foecornwall.org/ or Groundswell: http://www.groundswellcornwall.org/?

Maybe they can help.

Sorry about the absence – had to get a book ready for publication including getting all the photos sorted out, plus working to pay the bills. I just didn't have time to look into C24. The trouble with language b*****ds is that I'm one of them!!!! (Although to be fair, most of 'em are good people. As usual, the bad ones are a tiny minority).

Found something interesting regarding the National Front (damn – I DO keep doing that. Sorry, my Freudian slip is showing). National TRUST. This is from the National Trust ACts 1907-1953 and as amended:

"the National Trust was established for the general purposes of promoting the permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest and as regards lands for the preservation (wherever practicable) of their natural aspect features and animal and plant life".

Those areas of the Penwith Moors now in their ownership, especially Carn Galva which is one of the Heath Project targets, have not changed in their natural aspect features, and animal and plant life, since the NT bought them. Therefore, to insert those areas into the Heath Project will surely be in breach of the National Trust Acts.

Oh, and it's worth pointing out that there is nothing in the entire Act that gives NT the power to interfere with the Planning process onland outside their ownership. Not a word.

I mentioned an "unholy alliance" of Natural "England" and the National Trust. Jo Oliver of the NT has been seconded to NE, and is working from their Pydar Steet office, Truro, to run the Carn Kenidjack project. On all these Heath Project areas (they are currently targetting 47 sites in Cornwall with the aim of radically altering their visual characters and habitats), these two organisations are being aided and abetted by the third of this latest axis of evil – my old friends "English" Heritage, which is preparing historical assessment reports for each (Cornish historical/archaeological experts – has YOUR expertise been sought? Thought not.)

edited by: marhak, Jul 06, 2008 – 08:08 AM