A 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial mound has been vandalised by yobs after removing rocks from the protected historical site.
The damage to Fire Beacon Cairn, near Crowcombe on the Quantock Hills National Landscape in Somerset, was spotted by a landowner on two occasions.
A 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial mound has been vandalised by yobs Credit: Jam Press/Michael Stuckey
Rocks were removed from the protected Fire Beacon Cairn in Somerset Credit: Jam Press/Michael Stuckey
The shocking incidents were reported to local rangers and Historic England and marks the second time the monument has been vandalised in recent years.
Iain Porter, head ranger on the Quantock Hills, said he wanted visitors to grasp the historical importance of the ancient monuments.
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He said: “It’s not a pile of stones – it’s a very important historic site… showing the ceremonial nature of that landscape historically.”
Fire Beacon Cairn is just one of around 50 scheduled monuments across the hills and it is a criminal offence to move the rocks or dig into the ground.
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It marks the second time the cairn has been vandalised in recent years Credit: Jam Press/Michael Stuckey
It is one of 50 scheduled monuments across the hills and is a criminal offence to move the rocks Credit: Jam Press/Michael Stuckey
The cairn is a man-made mound, formed from a stack of stones marking a burial site – it is intended to measure around 4.9ft high and 82ft in diameter.
“Archaeologists and heritage officers are very concerned because if there are any finds or if there is any archaeological evidence of use and dating material, that’s where it’s going to be,” Mr Porter said.
He added that repairing the damage inflicted on the monument by vandals would likely come at a financial cost.
Dr Richard Brunning, senior historic environment officer at the South West Heritage Trust, said it was “especially worrying” when ancient monuments were damaged.
He said: “They’ve survived this long, it’d be terrible just to be destroyed on someone’s whim.”
Dr Brunning described the cairn as an “important relic of this very distant past”.
He added: “Archaeologically, they’re very important when they’re excavated because as they hold human remains that gives us a very good evidence for what past people were like.
“We can do all sorts of wonderful bits of science that you could never do in the past, such as looking at DNA from people buried that long ago.”
A Historic England spokesperson said the cairn had only recently been repaired after being vandalised two years ago.
They added: “We ask that the public remain vigilant and report any further vandalism to Historic England and the Quantock Hills National Landscape team.”
Quantock Hills National Landscape said the latest damage occurred “last week, and again over the weekend”.
A spokesperson added: “Information and evidence has been sent to Historic England.
“The pre-historic landscape is a key feature of the Quantock Hills with over 50 Scheduled Monuments and damage to a Scheduled Monument is a criminal offence.
“At these sites it is illegal to move rocks, stones or soil, to dig into or to cause any damage. It is also illegal to use metal detectors.”
Mr Porter, manager of the Quantock Hills National Landscape Team, said: “It is upsetting to see the level of damage caused to this Scheduled Monument.
“These sites (there are over fifty Scheduled Monuments on the Quantock Hills), form a vast network allowing us to understand the ceremonial importance of the hills from the Neolithic, through the Bronze-Age and into the Iron Age.
“We are working with the landowner and partners from Historic England and the South West Heritage Trust to assess the damage and to repair the site.”
