A condition survey of the monuments within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site carried out in 2010 identified a significant increase in the number of nationally important archaeological sites being damaged by burrowing animals, particularly badgers. Winterbourne Stoke Down, approximately 2km to the west of Stonehenge, has a number of historically important Bronze Age barrows.
The barrows have been suffering from badger damage for several years placing them at High Risk on the national Heritage at Risk register. English Heritage has a commitment to government to reduce the number of designated heritage assets at risk, these monuments were therefore a priority for action.
The aim of the current project was to prevent further damage to several Bronze Age barrows at Winterbourne Stoke Down by badger exclusion (closing down the badger setts). At the request of the landowner the badgers were vaccinated against bovine TB prior to exclusion (to read more about our badger vaccination read here). In total, five badgers were caught vaccinated and released. The badgers were excluded from the site using one-way gates and the barrows have now been re-profiled and meshed with heavy gauge chain link wire to prevent any further activity from burrowing animals.
Wessex archaeology worked alongside WildlifeCo during the re-profiling and all up-cast were sieved in order to retrieve any small finds. The disturbed areas of ground e.g. spoil heaps, tunnel collapses, and erosion scars were re-profiled using an archaeologically sterile local chalk and soil mixture, and the grass has now begun to regenerate naturally. The project has taken 15 months to complete and the badgers have re-populated a formerly used sett close by. With careful consideration to animal welfare and sensitivity to the archaeology of the area the barrows are now preserved for future generations.
More background information to come as the project progresses…