SUSTAINABILITY

FEATURES
clustered at the edges. So serious was
the problem that the MOD assigned
five million pounds to set up a task
force that would build a series of stone
tracks which removed a mass of heavy
vehicle activity from the grassland.
A new stone track near the Bulford Ranges © Wiltshire Council
The first MOD archaeologist started in
1996, primarily to cover Salisbury Plain
inexorably shunting movement
towards areas (and heritage) not
previously disturbed. It took 36 hours
for the exercise to pass through the
wash-down!
At a basic level the commandant was
faced with large areas that needed
rest and repair, but the broader debate
concerned the future - what could
be done to prevent a repeat of this
threat to both heritage and training?
The concept of ‘loading’ was much
discussed. Westdown Camp staff felt
the rigorous assessment of the level
of training (the loading) that each
area could support was critical, with
groundwater levels dominating all. The
Commandant would halt any exercise
if ground conditions were poor.
Two further concepts were examined.
It was apparent that investment in
infrastructure had been poor. Vehicle
movement occurred along old
farm-tracks or routes generated by
repeated exercises. The second and
related observation was that much
vehicle movement was ‘administrative’;
simply the need for a unit to get to
an area assigned to it. This factor was
exacerbated by the long narrow shape
of the training area, and the need to
minimise traffc through the villages
This was not a ban on free movement
across the area, simply a measure that
removed unwarranted erosion. This
process was capped in 2000 by the
construction of the Southern Range
Road, moving traffc harmlessly across
Salisbury Plain West.
As County Archaeologist I was
privileged to have some involvement
in these processes, convinced in
hindsight that the bold decisions
and commitment shown by a series
of Commandants over the years is
the reason that sites like Chisenbury
Warren survive today. I recall an
incident when a squadron of tracked
vehicles broke through the wire at
that site. Seeing the evidence HQ
staff expressed deep concern but I
reminded them that this was only the
fourth such event in 15 years, surely a
mark of success, not failure. I think they
took my point.
Roy Canham MBE
County Archaeologist (Retd) and
Subgroup Leader
Imber Conservation Group
Chisenbury Warren Roman village, showing the network of new tracks designed to steer vehicles around the earthworks © Wiltshire Council
Sanctuary 44 • 2015
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