4 replies to this topic

[stonecarver]

This last weekend I visited the beautiful COPT HOWE prehistoric rock-carvings in the Langdale Valley, Cumbria. These carvings are very near to the Langdale Axe Factory in the valley-bottom.

There has been Irreparable Damage to this beautiful, unique prehistoric monument.

Rock-climbers were climbing on the carvings when I visited. They were using chalk-dust (which they purchase in mountaineering shops to help give more friction) in the cup-marks and cracks in the rock to make it easier to climb. A whole section of spiral designs is being destroyed on the face of the monument. The cup-marks are being worn-away by climbers using them for their hand and toe holds.

The climbers are wearing boots which are damaging the cup-marks through erosion, and by using friction-climbing techniques they are wearing-away the spiral designs.

These are UNIQUE carvings... there are few Neolithic and Bronze Age rock-carvings in Cumbria (when compared with Northumbria for example).

The Copt Howe prehistoric rock-carvings are a Scheduled Monument (just like Stonehenge), under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act  1979. It is a CRMINAL OFFENCE to climb on this monument or cause it damage in any way.

Here is a photo I took on Sunday. I have been losing sleep about how to protect this unique and beautiful prehsitoric monument since I saw these people climbing this Sunday. It seems to me that it might be relevant to e-mail, telephone or write to the British Mountaineering Council. They don't even acknowledge the site is a Scheduled Monument on their website, and list it on their website as a climb!

 Copt_Howe_ruined_2.jpg   310.38K   10 downloads

At the left of this photo you can see where a very substantial part of the rock-carvings have been damaged, a section has fallen away and lays in pieces on the ground. Due to the large size of the images I will have to post further images in more posts in this thread so you can see the extent of the terrible damage caused.


If you want to contact the British Mountaineering Council (I have) their details are:-



British Mountaineering Council
177-179 Burton Rd
Manchester
M20 2BB
UK

E-mail:-  office@thebmc.co.uk

Telephone (inside the British Isles) 0161 445 6111

International 0044 161 445 6111

These rock-carvings are part of OUR heritage. Everybody interested in prehistoric monuments and rock-art is affected by the dreadful damage to this  monument, which is being destroyed by rock-climbers. What is Particularly stupid is that there are literally hundreds of other boulders to climb on within 500 metres of these important rock-carvings, and there are hundreds of good rock-climbs within 500 metres.

The people who were climbing on it (there were three of them) said they hadn't noticed the carvings!!  (but they had been using the carvings to help them climb the rock, which is only a few metres high anyway). I spoke to them politely and explained that it is a Scheduled Monument, explained exactly what it is and how unique it is, to try and make them appreciate the situation, and that it is Their heritage they were damaging. When I pointed out there are hundreds of equally good climbs visible from the site and within a few minutes walk they seemed to appreciate the situation and they left the site to climb elsewhere (thank goodness).  Cumbria Police DO prosecute people for damaging Ancient Monuments in any way.

This monument cannot be brought back once it has been destroyed.

[stonecarver]

This is what the American National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) says about climbing on ancient monuments:-

"Climbing within 50 feet of rock art is prohibited. Pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings) are easily damaged and should not be touched. Skin oils, chalk, and boot rubber hasten the deterioration of these irreplaceable cultural artifacts."

Are the British so uneducated about Their prehistoric sites?

I spoke with the National Trust today about the damage (they have a responsibility to ensure monuments are not damaged) and their first spokesperson was reluctant even to inform anybody else until next week, and said that 'the warden responsible for the area has just come out of hospital and won't be able to go and have a look'. I eventually spoke to another member of staff and they didn't state what action (if any) they would be taking (in other words, nothing one presumes).

To their credit, the British Mountaineering Council have responded by expressing their concern and have stated they will assess the situation.

Given the fragility of the site, and the fact it is just three metres by five metres or so on the east face, a simple ban on climbing on it with a polite notice seems a reasonable and measured response to preserve our cultural heritage.

[FourWinds]

The large missing section you mention has been there for many years - http://www.themodern....com/post/18056 - I think it was like this when the site was first recognised, which was only a few years ago.

From other reports of people climbing on the outcrop the climbers usually avoid the carved face, so they're not all bad. Due to the site's protected status and its popularity with climbers, surely what this site should have is a big sign pointing out the penalties for damaging it. I know that won't stop people, but it may educate the few that do use the carved face.

[stonecarver]

Hi Fourwinds,

the feature you refer to is Not the damage that has occurred recently. That large flake, as you say, has been missing for a while. The damage is smaller flakes kicked off the toe-holds near the base of the monuement. Because my photos are over 3 meg each I have been wondering how to display them here... I'll post more today.

The site was first Published in 1999 after it was 'rediscovered', but locals and some archaeologists have known about the site for over 30 years.

I live a few miles from the monument and I'm a qualified rock-climing instructor as well as a member of the British Mountaineering Council (I have been climbing for thrity years), and I have lost count of the number of times I have been there and found irresponsible climbers climbiing on the carvings and using the spiral designs for friction-climbing. Whilst Most climbers are responsible, a few are Not.

English Heritage stopped people from climbing on or touching the carved stones at Stonehenge a few years ago, and this is a much smaller and fragile monument and a modern sport cannot be allowed to cause damage to any prehistoric monument, whether or not there has been a 'tradition' of climbers using it the past hundred years or so.

You are entirely right - there needs to be a sign, but I think people need to understand this site is being abused... and therefore climbers have lost any 'rights' they had to use it. They actually have no legal right what-so-ever. But the great majority of us... every single person... has a right to enjoy the monument for what it is, a unique and beautiful example of prehistoric rock-art left by our ancestors.

 Copt_Howe_ruined_3.jpg   455.2K   6 downloads

[stonecarver]

Here's another photo of the east face of the monument.

The people climbing on it this last weekend said they had read about it in a guidebook... but were all over the rock-art when we visited. And the use of chalk on the monument is damaging it. I think the Americans have got it entirely right in relations to rock art...

This is what the American National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) says about climbing on ancient monuments:-

"Climbing within 50 feet of rock art is prohibited. Pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings) are easily damaged and should not be touched. Skin oils, chalk, and boot rubber hasten the deterioration of these irreplaceable cultural artifacts."

 Copt_Howe_ruined_4.jpg   456.62K   6 downloads