Project could destroy Anglo Saxon sites

THE HS2 rail route could destroy undiscovered Anglo Saxon archaeological sites, campaigners have claimed.

This week, Richard Lloyd, from the Heart of England High Speed Railway Action Group, revealed serious concerns about the harm the project could do to the region’s rich history, which includes Anglo Saxon heritage.

Mr Lloyd said an enormous amount of land was being opened up for the first time, but the types of discoveries likely in Solihull’s rural areas would probably go unnoticed by construction teams.

He fears workers will just “dig through” things they did not know are there, which he described as “unacceptable.”

HS2 Ltd has argued that the development actually offered a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to uncover thousands of years of history and the company said it would be keen to link up with Solihull groups.

Mr Lloyd said: “The idea that building contractors are going to scrape away the top-soil and identify changes in soil density or pick up small fragments of artefacts is just nonsense. They’re just going to destroy it.”

Mr Lloyd said the Midlands was steeped in history and had been well populated during the Dark Ages – the period which followed the decline of the Roman Empire.

“We here are in the heartlands of ancient Mercia and you can tell by the place names that it is entirely Saxon,” he said. “And that Saxon occupation of the area must have started, judging by the density, before the Romans packed up and went home in 400 AD or whenever they left.

“This is a very significant area very little is known and to destroy what remains in the soil, which could indicate settlements and particularly boundaries, would be a tremendous loss in terms of cultural heritage.”

Jonathan Lord, HS2 Ltd’s senior area engagement manager, said that archaeological groups in Warwickshire had been taken out to survey sites and the firm would be keen to have a similar arrangement in Solihull.