‘Stacking stones is rubbing out our history’
Historic England says the trend is destroying Britain’s neolithic sites
IT IS a seemingly harmless endeavour that is growing in popularity among ramblers.
But now Historic England has said that “stone stacking” is akin to “rubbing out history” as they warned that it was destroying Britain’s Neolithic monuments.
Stone stacking – described as a “meditative artistic skill” – is the practice of placing stones on top of one another to produce sculptures. They are common at the summits of hills and other landmarks.
Following complaints about the stone stacking at historic hilltops on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, Historic England has urged enthusiasts to halt the practice.
Scores of balanced stones have appeared at Stowe’s Pound on Bodmin Moor, a Neolithic site which is about 6,000 years old and is classified as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Visitors have been taking stones from the site and piling them up – apparently unaware it is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979. Damaging or removing objects a the site could lead to criminal prosecution.
Daniel Ratcliffe, inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England South West, said that moving the stones to build “inevitably temporary” stacks was eroding protected archaeological features.
“Taking away the stones is like rubbing out our history,” he said, adding that Historic England was prepared to work with the landowner, the Duchy of Cornwall, to find a solution.
A spokesman said that Historic England had a “range of interventions” at its disposal to preserve the country’s heritage and “historic environment”.
These include restorative resolution, formal warnings and criminal prosecution, which could potentially lead to imprisonment.