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Millennium
Monstrosity
at Mayburgh Henge
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Millennium
Monstrosity
at Mayburgh Henge
Eden Arts propose to erect unsympathetic monument
October 1999:
The final decision has been made as to its location. Below is an extract from the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald.
A revised site has been chosen for a huge granite monolith monument which is intended to be the centrepiece of Edens millenium festival. Nick Jones, of Eden Arts, has submitted the plans on behalf of Canon Gervase Markham, who is spearheading the festival plan..
Four potential sites were chosen in the field near Mayburgh Henge, but these were found to be either unaccebtable to the public and the parish council, or not prominent enough. A fifth area beside a lay-by has now been agreed as a suitable site.
May we thank everybody that took the time to mail Eden Arts with their views of the planned granite structure at Mayburgh Henge.
COMMENT! Read visitors' comments on this page, and leave your own.
The full story...
Cumberland News, August 6th 1999
Memorial "to last 1,000 years"
by Mary Ingham, Penrith reporter
- Eden councillors have backed a plan to mark the millennium with a 30-tonne granite
memorial designed to last
for at least another 1,000 years. But one member claimed it would be "cultural
vandalism" to place a Christian monument at the proposed site - a field containing
the Neolithic Mayburgh Henge at Eamont Bridge, near Penrith. the £17,500 memorial has
been devised by the organisers of next summer's millennium festival, part of which will be
held at the Henge, and it will be dedicated during the event. It will be made out of a
solid block of Shap granite, standing 12ft and weighing 25 to 30 tonnes. The organisers
say the memorial will last at least another 1,000 years and will be inscribed with symbols
and inscriptions highlighting the Christian significance of the millennium. The festival
company will pay half the cost and once it is wound up, Eden Council will take over
ownership of the memorial. At its recent meeting, Eden's works and leisure committee
agreed to pay the remaining £8,750, subject to planning and other consents. Brian
Nicholls, (Penrith Carleton, Lib Dem) said he was happy with the principle of a millennium
monument, but not with the site. "Isn't is cultural vandalism to stick a Christian
symbol on a non- Christian site?" he asked. "You would not put a cross on top of
a barrow." Bryan Metz (Alston Moor, Ind) said there was a long tradition of
Christians putting monuments on ground previously used by other religions. Bernard
Thornburrow (Tebay with Orton, Ind) said Canon Markham, who is leading the organisation of
the festival, had done a lot of research into the suitability of the site.
Some suggestions of people to communicate your views about this:
English Heritage, 23 Saville Row, London W1X 1AB Tel 0171 973 3000
EH chief archaeologist: David Miles
Jocelyn Stevens' secretary: June.prunty@english-heritage.org.uk
fax 0171 973 3330
View the area on the Megalith Map (Look for Mayburgh NY519284)
A reply from Nick Jones at Eden Arts, 2 Sandgate, Penrith, CUMBRIA, CA11 7TP.
Thank you for your recent e-mail expressing concern at the reports in the Cumberland News and the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald regarding a proposal for a Millennium Monument in the vicinity of Mayburgh Henge. The report in the "Herald" was slightly misleading, as there has never been any proposal to site a monument inside the existing Henge or its curtilage. However there are proposals for four possible sites in the field within which the Henge is situated.
The details of the proposal and the thinking behind it are below. Eden Arts is acting in an administrative and advisory role in this matter. We are currently in discussion with the Parish Council and welcome all contributions to the debate, which will be passed on to the Committees that are involved in this project.
EDEN MILLENNIUM MONUMENT
- The purpose of the Eden Millennium Festival was agreed at a public meeting held in June 1997 to be the worthy celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.
- The proposal to site the festival close to Mayburgh Henge was agreed in principle, because it is thought to have been constructed by our predecessors as one of the earliest gathering-places in the area for important occasions, made from many small stones formed into a vast circle. The purpose of the Henge is still unclear, but it is probable that it would have had a religious dimension, and to be a place where the connections between the divine and the human could be invoked.
- Christians believe that these connections have been effectively revealed in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the organisers consider that it is appropriate to celebrate the Millennium where our predecessors may have first gathered to celebrate the divine presence.
- The climax of the festival will be to dedicate a large standing stone of local granite (weighing about 30 tonnes and 12-15 feet high) near the henge but outside it. The stone will be carved with three large simple symbols and the date "2000". These symbols will:
- look backwards to Creation and the builders of the henge: ALPHA "A"
- commemorate the central event that defines Christianity: THE CROSS "U"
- look forwards to the infinite future: OMEGA "W"
- At present four possible sites are being considered :
- Outside but close to the entrance to the henge, on an axis with the stone in its centre.
- Outside the henge, between the henge entrance and the public entrance.
- Outside the henge, in the corner of the field nearest to the road bridge over the M6.
- Outside the henge, in the corner of the field in a direct axis with Arthur’s Round Table
- The intention is not to affect the integrity of the existing site, but to make a bold statement that we, the people of the Eden Valley of today, wish to reinforce the connection with the past, and to create a monument to the religious significance of the year 2000, by placing a standing stone to complement the henge.
- The people of Eden will be invited to place their own named stone in a trench round the great stone as personal contribution to the Eden Millennium Monument prior to dedication on 2nd July 2000.
- The stone will be publicly funded. The Festival organisers wish to involve and consult the local community and the people of Eden before finalising the details of the project.
- The organisers are working closely with the Parish Council and we would very much appreciate your views on this proposal and the various sites that are being considered.
To: Nick Jones, Eden Arts
From: Andy Burnham
Many of my friends and I are horrified to hear of your plans to plant a giant obelisk just outside Mayburgh Henge.
I am interested enough in Mayburgh Henge to feature it on a page of my web site Megalithic Mysteries, at http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~aburnham/eng/mayb.htm and I will be adding a page publicising your proposal.
There is only one
stone remaining of the circle as it is. What's left doesn't need overshadowing by a modern
structure. Just because people Christianised these sites hundreds of years ago doesn't
mean it's acceptable now.
I'm sure your monument will be very nice but you must put it somewhere else. A memorial "to last 1,000 years" is nothing compared to how long Mayburgh henge has been there. What gives the people of our generation, or even our millennium the right to alter it?
I am a regular tourist visitor to Cumbria, and the prehistoric monuments are one of the attractions to me. If you cannot treat your ancient sites with more respect I will have to visit somewhere else that can!
Regards,
Andy Burnham - Epsom, Surrey, UK
STOP PRESS
Justin Grammer, who lives nearby and is taking an active interest reports:
- I saw Nick Jones last week. He said that Eden Arts is having a problem. They're unhappy with the adverse publicity they are getting from the whole Mayburgh Millenium thing. Apparently it's 'tainting' the image of Eden Arts and they aren't happy. They are asking for suggestions of alternative sites for their lump of granite ...they are questioning themselves, that's always a good thing. A little introspective searching never did any harm. So I should be say 'Thank You' to all of you that are making your feelings known to Eden Arts.
Chinks are starting to show in their resolve to carry out this daft scheme! All the more reason to make your feelings known.
Page last updated: 11 July, 2000
Photographs © Andy Burnham
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