I agree with you, the one thing that is good however is that the spruce ups are documented. Knowing the dates when this is done in relation to all hill figures shows the periods in which they were cared for and by whom. This is all important historically as we are still in an age of hierarchical heritage (I mean EH and the NT tell the folk what is important just as the rich used to, rather than the folk telling their government dept what they want looked after before all else).

In the hands of the heritage industry hill figures have been ruined by concrete, disenfranchised from the personal care of local folk, exploited by TV reality shows and car advertisements, coloured for red nose days, disfigured by political activists, and had their willy censored - a point (pun) that was almost made for keeps.

VBB