Yorkshire Rock Art
Moorland fire hits Rock Art sites.
On September 17th, 2003, news broke of a devastating fire on moorland to the south of Whitby. With the warm dry summer and tinder dry vegetation this was a disaster waiting to happen, even though many warning signs are displayed about the high risk of fire!
Investigations have not revealed whether the fire was started accidentally or if it was a deliberate act of arson. It has been suggested that the fire may have started in a waste bin situated in a lay-by close to the Flask Inn on the busy A171 Whitby to Scarborough Road.
The fire burned for several days and spread quickly to engulf approximately five square miles of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, including sections of Stoney Marl, Howedale, Stoop and Brow Moors, and at one point threatened residential dwellings below the escarpment over looking Robin Hoods Bay.
Over nineteen fire engines and up to one hundred fire-fighters were dispatched to fight the blaze, their efforts managed to contain the fire, and a moping up operation continued for several days after the main fires were extinguished.
The moorland area affected is known to contain many prehistoric features
of significant archaeological importance, including kerbed barrows,
ring cairns, cup and ring-marked stones, field systems, and enclosures etc
On
hearing of the scale of the fire, Paul Brown and Graeme Chappell, visited
the area at the earliest opportunity to assess any damage to the rock art
and other archaeological features.
Our
visit to the moors on September 24th revealed a black and charred landscape
where the intense fire had burnt everything in its path leaving the
exposed soils scorched red.
Unfortunately barrows and
cairns have
been fire damaged and some panels of rock art badly fractured, and now in danger of
being lost to the archaeological record.
Much of the ecology of the
moor has suffered, with the loss of fine examples of mosses and heathers.
The natural habitat of butterflies, dragon and damsel flies has
been eradicated and bog pools dried up in the intense heat.
As with many moors within the
National Park, this moor is largely unmanaged.
Heather dominated the landscape and its spread made the moorland
practically impenetrable.
We
would urge the advocates of our archaeological heritage and the natural
environment, English Nature and English Heritage to consider the future
protection of these moorland environments as soon as possible.
Simple removal of vegetation around identified archaeological
remains, and the installation of fire-breaks would have provided an
effective approach which could largely have prevented the devastation so
recently encountered.
Local
Authorities need to reconsider the siting of the various lay-by within the
National Park area and to keep litter bins in rural environments cleared
on a regular basis.
Fortunately
our efforts in locating and recording the rock art panels has been on
going, nearly all of the
known sites have been plotted, photographed and drawn before the fire.
Therefore
"all is not lost " our survey information
will be made available to the archaeological record as soon as the
current phase of research is complete.
Paul Brown
& Graeme Chappell
Sept
2003
Additional.
Having visited
this moorland area for almost ten years it was quite a shock to see the
place so utterly changed by the fierce fire that had blazed across the
moors. The damage to rock surfaces by the intense heat was difficult to
comprehend but at the same time shows how easily vulnerable rock carvings
can be destroyed.
Close inspection of the fire damaged rocks revealed that thin sections of the stone surface had completely detached from the main body of the rock and were simply sat on the surface waiting to be dislodged. Prior to the fire the surface of these stones were solid and showed no sign of cracks or other weaknesses. This suggests the damage is purely the result of intense heat (perhaps heating moisture within the stone?)
It was also noted that the damaged stones were in exposed positions on the moor and that the damaged areas were on the sections of the stone facing the prevailing wind, so this may also have been a factor in the heat generated around the stone.
Another factor may have been the heavy showers of rain that helped extinguish the moorland fire. This cooling water falling on the heated stones may also have caused the surface to fracture.
GC.
Examples of fire damage to rock surface
(click on images for enlarged view)
