Having never visited Stone Henge I was excited to discover what Stone Henge was all about and to see the stones in their original formation. However, once I heard that there was a fence around the site I was appalled and angered. How can English Heritage and the government charge for an entrance fee? For thousands of years spiritual and religious people have been coming to Stone Henge for free and practising their religious rights. So when I arrived yesterday I had a few questions to put to English Heritage which were representing local people’s views who we met on our journey to the Henge. What I discovered was that our ancestors have been removed by a professor and the remains of their bodies rather than being in the ground at the Henge are in fact languishing in a box in Sheffield University for an unknown reason. The Stones have been moved and damaged by placing concrete plinths underneath, holes drilled into the stones and reinforced steels being placed inside. I ask myself why Engilsh Heritage are presently making 11 million pounds per year, that will eventually be worth by their own estimates a 51 million pound business once the visitors centre, museum, cafe and road have been implemented. English Heritage are charging a substantial fee for tourists and members of the public to enter and coach’s are having to pay an extra 10 pounds to park which all the coach drivers were complaining about.

 

I asked Kevin Barbour Manager of Stone Henge, English Heritage if he’d be willing to do an interview telling us about the stones and answering local peoples questions which, I felt were reasonable. Well, talk about putting the cat amongst the pigeons! Kevin Barbour the manager told me that neither he or anyone else at the site actually know anything about Stone Henge and directed me to call Senoir Press Officer Renee at the English Heritage Press office, which I did and this is what happened next. Of course as usual we have recorded the conversation which will be available to view on Youtube. Renee said that she couldn’t answer any questions regarding the moving of the stones and the concrete plinths as we’d need to speak to an expert,  however she couldn’t or wouldn’t say who that expert could or would be. In regards to the charging of the 8 pounds entrance fee she said that the fee was to pay for other 400 monuments, castles and stately homes which aren’t visited by thousands of people each year. I suggested to her that perhaps that Stone Henge, being left to the people of this county, should be free for people to visit and the other homes most of which are owned by the aristocracy should be left for those elite families to renovate rather than taking public money for the upkeep of their homes and properties.  I then asked Renee about the ownership of the land and this is where our conversation got interesting.

 

Cecil Chubb bought Stone Henge as an anniversary present for his wife. However, Cecil’s wife wasn’t to chuffed to receive Stone Henge as a present and so Cecil Chubb decided to gift the Henge back to the nation with a suggested nominal donation of a shilling. Then in the fifties once Cecil Chubb had passed away the deeds were illegally changed in a closed court session and there are no records of the court session or changes made. However, English Heritage are only responsible for the turnstiles and the triangle that the Stones sit on. The rest of the land surrounding the Stones is administered by the National Trust. So Renee told us that English Heritage couldn’t stop us from going on the National Trust land as that was nothing to do with them. So, in other words we could enter the National trust land walk up to the Stones and as long as we don’t breach the English Heritage rope cordon on the ground there isn’t actually anything they could do about it and we wouldn’t need to pay the 8 pounds entrance fee. So yesterday evening Hannah Remington, Malcolm Blackman, Nick of the Devon Clan, Stan Dalone, Andy and myself climbed the small barbed wire fence along with several intrepid members of the public and entered the National Trust Land to view Stone Henge at sunset.  As we moved in closer the English Heritage security team moved in. They breached English Heritage proptery and entered National Trust land and began shouting at us to stop where we were. Of course having just heard from the English Heritage press office that we could be legally allowed on that land, however somebody had failed to pass the  information onto the site security. The outcome of the overzealous Polish security guard was that I was assaulted by him before his colleague came over and suggested that he cool down and return back behind the line. We stayed on the right side of the line, policed ourselves and the tidal wave of members of the public started following us by climbing the fence and getting a free up close and personal view of the Stones as close or if not closer than the paying members of the public. This went on all evening as we gathered at our tents and celebrated the liberation of Stone Henge from corporate tyranny. Little did I know that while we were celebrating our victory all hell would be breaking loose in Enlgish Heritage. The next morning the Police were called and spoke to me and I explained that we’d spoken to Rennee at the press office and she had given the correct information. The Police were completely satisfied that no laws had been broken however, English Heritage had had complaints made by members of the public who had payed and wanted refunds as they could clearly see people seeing the Stones for free.

 

 

Even as I’m writing this article a steady stream of people have been climbing the fence walking on National Trust Land exercising their right to see the Stones for free. English Heritage management came down and asked us if we wouldn’t enter the National Trust land as were ruining the visitor experience for paying customers and the coup de grace was when they called in the army to protect their revenue. Well of course they’d be upset as the public can view people getting something for free when they are having to pay 8 pounds per person and English Heritage cannot do anything about it. They know it, we know it and now members of the public are finding out from us. Then the plot thickened when later in the afternoon more Police turned up along with a Wiltshire Councillor representative who threatened to evict us from the byway. It was like being in the old wild west when the town mayor kicks you of town. So basically the upshot was that we told them all that we had the right to be doing what we were doing and if Wiltshire Council wants to evict us, they can of course. It will take them 28days before they can even get a court order and by then we will have walked to London! So the Wiltshire Councillor left along with the Police. It’s now clear that corporations whether private or government Quangoes use the local council to enforce their corporate rules. So again who do the Police work for? Us or English Heritage?

 

English Heritage which has share holders are clearly attempting a land grab by placing unesesary infrastructure to justify their new 51 million pound business.

 

 

So did we liberate Stone Henge? The answer is YES, for those brave enough to make the leap of faith, climb a small four foot fence and see this magnificent monument for free. I imagine this loop hole won’t last for long and as more and more people are learning that they can see Stone Henge without baying to corporate tyranny they are being brave enough to go against English Heritage corporate thuggery. Police have arrived once again to enforce the policy of English Heritage. So we have decided to stay and inform the public of their historic rights and their right to see Stone Henge for free. 1977 was the year that visitors to Stonehenge had unrestricted access and were able to wonder freely around the stones. On the 15th March 1978 signs went up informing visitors that they were no longer allowed access to the stone circle.

 

If you are around Stone Henge please come down and support us, our walk against Corruption will be here until Sunday so join the protest and lets make a change for everyone in our country and begin taking back our national heritage from the greedy corporate bankers. 

 

PLEASE HELP FUND OUR WALK AGAINST CORRUPTION BY MAKING A DONATION -WE NEED YOUR HELP, THANK YOU! : http://www.gofundme.com/399sqk