Six Minutes to Save 5,000 Years of History.

Objectors trying to save the ritual landscape of the Thornborough Henges, Britain's largest ancient religious site, have been awarded SIX MINUTES to speak in defence of the Neolithic landscape at the main planning meeting, to be held later this autumn.

During a planning and regulatory functions committee of North Yorkshire's councillors today, 19th July, the members discussed Tarmac Northern's application to extend the Nosterfield quarrying operations, which will encroach on the ritual landscape of the Thornborough Henges for the first time.

Quarrying operations have been carried out in the area for more than forty years, but it was not until the operators of the Nosterfield Quarry, owned by Tarmac Northern Ltd. was forced to record archaeology on site that the true extent of the loss of archaeology in the area was revealed.

As little as ten years ago council archaeologists believed there was little or no archaeology contained in the land surrounding the Thornborough Henges - three massive earth circles that spread out over a mile and create what many regard as the largest ritual gathering place ever created in prehistoric Britain.

Following Tarmac's release of their archaeology reports, archaeologists and locals were astounded at the amount of important archaeology that was being lost to the quarry, despite assurances that nationally important archaeology would be preserved in-situ (in the ground).

From then on, both local and national groups have rallied round to create an unprecedented volume of protest about the continued quarrying of the area and things look set to come to a head in under two months when council planners will meet to decide the fate of Ladybridge Farm on September 20th.

"Six minutes is not long to describe the importance of a site that was virtually unknown just three years ago!" Said TimeWatch.org Chairman George Chaplin, "But at least this is twice as long as the usual three minutes objectors get. We have six minutes to plead the case for 5,000 years of history; if we fail it will all be quarried in four years!"

Council planners agreed to hold the planning meeting at a location close to Thornborough and the venue will be announced later.

TimeWatch recently handed North Yorhshire County Council 1,500 letters of objection to the planning application and 10,000 signatures on a petition demanding a "no quarry zone" around the henges.

TimeWatch have made their response to the Ladybridge Quarry application available to the public via their website - www.timewatch.org.