Long Man vandalized

The Long Man of Wilmington 19

Image by Cursuswalker

Littlestone Dec 6, 2004 00:25:10

The Long Man of Wilmington has NOT been vandalized (re: HopHead's News Post of 4 December.

I was there yesterday and the pro-fox hunting NO BAN graffiti is well to the left of the figure (difficult to say from the road how far left but maybe 300-400 metres?). The graffiti is ugly and I don't agree with the sentiments but in no way can it be said that the figure has been 'vandalized'.

Let's get our facts straight shall we before posting his sort of information.

Pete G Dec 6, 2004 01:14:34

Replying to Littlestone

and the archaeology of the LMW site just extends to the victorian concrete outline does it?
<sigh>
WT

Cursuswalker Dec 6, 2004 01:58:54

Replying to Littlestone

AND YET....................it can hardly have been put there for any other reason than the presence of the Long Man surely?

The wider setting of a site seems to be a priority for us with Thornborough, so why not in this case?

If you visit the site the entire vista of Wilmington and Windover Hills is all part of the spectacle, of which this defacement forms a part.

HopHead Dec 7, 2004 10:50:11

Replying to Littlestone

Crikey, Littlestone, with that sort of attitude you could have a good career with English Heritage. Surely ancient monuments exist within the context of their environment? Otherwise we might as well rip up all the stone circles and re-locate them as centrepieces in shopping malls! The site of the Long Man was obviously chosen carefully. To me the graceful sweep of the escarpment is all part of its magic, best viewed from a distance, and I really don't appreciate this ugly bit of 21st century zeitgeist intruding on such an essentially timeless spectacle!

Spaceship mark Dec 7, 2004 13:18:34

Replying to Littlestone

The daftest thing about all this is how totally self defeating it is. Graffiti can have its place, and can be useful as a polital force. This however shows nought but the uninformed idiocy of its perpetrators. The worst thing is, somehow, that it's not even good vandalism. It's half-hearted, cowardly vandalism. Thank goodness they didn't attack the Long Man himself, but how crap and uncommited does it make them look.
In fact, if someone really wanted to make the pro-hunt twats look really shit, this'd be a fine way to do it...