h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As we move into the 21st century, increasingly the pressures of modern living are having a terrible impact of the remains of the past - this erosion of heritage landscapes is not just the impact of roadbuilding or housing schemes, but also is the result of mining for the raw materials that are fuelling the twenty first century building boom.

Thornborough Henges are a good example of the sort of damage being done to our most precious heritage sites. These were constructed about 5,000 years ago - the same time as Stonehenge. The Thornborough Henges are thought to have been the religious capital of Britain for our Neolithic ancestors - they are the largest ritual site in Britain - over a mile in length.

Henges are larch circular earthworks thought to have been used for religious purposes. Many people only know Stonehenge yet at it's time of buiding no stones were at Stonehenge - these came much later. Originally Stonehenge was a 120m diameter circular ditch surrounded by a wall of earth.

Over the last fifty years a huge gravel quarrying operation has been removing the surrounding landscape of the Thornborough Henges, at times trying to erase even the massive 240m circular earthworks themselves. This quarry has removed a good deal of the archaeology left in the surrounding landscape - most of which has not been recorded and has been simply lost.

The quarry company, Tarmac Northern Ltd are expected to request planning permission to continue the removel of the land surrounding the henges. The latest location - a field called Ladybridge Farm is trongly suspected as contianing a 5,000 temporary camp built by visitors to the annual religious festivities at the henges. The current quarry has already destroyed two such camps and Ladybridge is thought to contain the last untouched remains of our ancient religious ancestors.

A campaign group, the Friends of Thornborough have been set up and with rumours abounding of an application from Tarmac hitting council offices before 17th of April 2004 the scene is set for one of the highest profile heritage debates this year - ultimately pitting progress against the preservation of our most ancient and important sites.