something and nothing

Stonehenge 180

Image by jacksprat

Rhiannon Jan 30, 2014 20:30:19

This is only vaguely interesting, but I was looking at some of the 'commons' photos on Flickr (from various big archives) and spotted this photo of stonehenge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49487266@N07/9374279226/in/photolist-fhnCBU-duvvU8-duB7vG
and I thought... something's not right about this. And do you see, the chalk byroad isn't in the right place. And there was me thinking that lane was like a thousand years old. But it's not. Looking old maps it moves between the 60s and 70s somewhere, it moves further away from the circle, to be at the opposite site of the car park. Things are always being changed at stonehenge, aren't they. And yet it seems like a sort of anchor in time because it's so old.

(and so, I thought, does that mean it used to cut across the cursus in a different place? But no, it just goes at a different angle and crosses it in just the same place. And it isn't there at all on the 1900 map!).

geeky or what. sorry.
(The photo is 2nd world war from a US air force plane, the 125th squadron who were based at Erlestoke.)

tjj Jan 30, 2014 23:22:39

Replying to Rhiannon

Yes you are right, I'm sure it's further away now though I'm tempted to ask if it was the car park that was moved. It's the by-way to Larkhill isn't it?

The Eternal Feb 9, 2014 00:18:20

Replying to Rhiannon

Hi Rhiannon and June,

Hopefully, the words below can answer your query.

Today, the "road", or track north to Larkhill is further west and passes southwards through the Normanton Down barrow cemetery, with Bush Barrow as it's highlight.

I have the book "Stonehenge in its Landscape; Twentieth Century Excavations" by R.M.J. Cleal, K.E. Walker, and R. Montague. The "road" in your photo is clearly shown in aerial photos during Hawley's excavations in the early 1920's. In Appendix 1 of this book: Geophysical Surveys, the track you speak of is described thus:-
"Modern activity (excluding that within the monument). As in the area north of the Cursus (RCHM(E) 1979), the influence of modern activity is widespread throughout the area surveyed. Much of this can be attributed to the period of the 1914-18 war when a new fenced road (10) and an airfield (11) were constructed west of Stonehenge (Lawson, Chapter 8; Chippendale 1983, 175, 193, illus 154; RCHM(E) 1979, pl 1). Although long since removed or covered over, these former structures have left behind quantities of magnetic metal and building materials which have affected the magnetometer response over large parts of the survey."

The number (10) refers to a map included in the book. This shows the reference (10) to be the exact track which is shown on your photo.

I hope this us useful, and if you want any more info feel free to ask. Also, If you can get hold of a copy of this large tome it's worth a gander, as it contains full details of all the Stonehenge excavations in the 20th C, as it says on the cover, although all The Avenue excavations are included in to the bargain.

All the best,
TE.