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Last revised: 6 October 2008

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Countryside Stewardship

Damage to archaeological earthworks caused by arable agriculture is widespread as modern farm machinery enables the soil to be ploughed very deeply. In the Avebury and Stonehenge WHS around 50% of the 1,000 known monuments are still being ploughed. There is general agreement that converting the landuse on a monument to grassland gives it the best possible protection in the longterm. To help protect the wealth of archaeological monuments in the Avebury & Stonehenge WHS, a Countryside Stewardship Special Project has been developed in partnership between the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), English Heritage and the National Trust.

A picture of Round Barrow Avebury

Countryside Stewardship is a scheme run by DEFRA which makes payments to farmers and land managers to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside. Applicants to the scheme can choose from a suite of options when putting together their plan. Within the Avebury and Stonehenge WHS a special higher rate to encourage conversion from arable to grassland has been agreed where archaeological remains are specifically targeted. Since it began in 2002, this project has allows more than 50 monuments to be removed from arable cultivation and protected under grassland.




A Bronze Age burial mound in a grassland
setting, protected from plough damage

Avebury Condition Survey In 1999 a detailed assessment of the condition of all the 330 monuments within the Avebury WHS was conducted. This was one of the earliest surveys of its type to be conducted and a new methodology was specifically developed for it. Commissioned by English Heritage, the work was undertaken by the Oxford Archaeology Unit. The study was organised according to a series of 18 Historic Landscape Units based on a range of visual and historic characteristics.

A picture of pole damage Avebury

The field survey of the monuments identified a range of condition, damage and management problems. Notably, it revealed that 40% of the known monuments in the area no longer survive above ground level (largely a result of damage by arable agriculture). Only 30% of monuments were assessed as being well preserved. The key types of damage identified were plough damage (51%) of sites, damage by burrowing animals (17%) vegetation and tree damage (12%) . Some visitor erosion (4%) was identified at the key sites open to the public such as the Henge and Stone Circle and West Kennet Long Barrow.The results from the survey are now being used to help target grants and resources to the most vulnerable monuments.



Burrowing animals can cause severe damage to
monuments such as this Bronze Age burial mound.