Conservation Bulletin 70 | PDF - English Heritage

HERITAGE CRIME
The challenge for private owners
Paul Millard
PR and Communications Manager, CLA
Heritage crime is as diverse and widespread as heritage
itself. If you see a gang of masked men prising
the lead from the roof of a local manor house, it’s
odds on you will think ‘’Ello ’ello, there’s a crime
in progress here’ – but there are crimes seen and
unseen, and even actions considered by some to be
criminal in outcome that actually contravene no law.
The less obvious – but still criminal – activities
might include damage by 4x4 enthusiasts tearing
up an ancient drove road or Roman settlement, or,
maybe, a group of off-roaders taking advantage of
the natural slope of your Neolithic long barrow.
Heritage crime is a major issue for CLA members,
who manage or own more than a quarter of
all listed buildings in England and Wales and more
than half of all scheduled monuments.
What defines heritage crime, and whether it has
greater or lesser degrees, is frequently a matter of
perception. English Heritage has, of course, defined
such crime in writing – but on its own this does
not answer the practical questions of who polices
it, who are the likely first responders and where
does responsibility end and expectation take over.
Recently a massive find of Roman coins on
the Wiltshire–Somerset border near Frome led
to an outbreak of nighthawking – metal detecting
without permission, often on ancient and scheduled
monuments that can range from Iron Age
forts to Anglo-Saxon burial chambers.
Much of our natural and a significant proportion
of our built heritage is found in remote locations,
frequently on privately owned land. So while the
more obvious crimes of theft and graffiti can be
relatively easily policed in towns and villages, the
same cannot be said of damage to ancient ruins,
structures and routes that criss-cross our countryside.
Responsibility for managing this type of
crime frequently falls first with the private owner.
Former CLA President, David Fursdon, has a
scheduled monument, Cadbury Castle, on his
Devon estate. It is located on the top of a hill, well
away from any adjoining properties. Illegal metal
detectorists have dug pits in the ramparts on the
far side of the castle, out of sight of the footpath.
He says:
On several occasions the farmer on the far side
of the valley has rung me and I can get there
Off-road drivers were causing serious damage to archaeological remains beside the Fosseway in north Wiltshire until the county
council imposed a permanent closure order and installed stronger gates and fencing.© Mark Harrison
30 | Conservation bulletin | Issue 70: Summer 2013