Earthwork Preservation
Preservers of England's early history have not yet fully learned the lesson of Avebury, where unique records of days before history were destroyed by local farmers for the making of country roads. This was not so long ago. No steps whatever are taken or, as things are, can be taken to preserve some of the oldest and most glorious earthworks ; nor are any investigations made. The earthworks are treated with the same ruthlessness as the great Avebury stones. They are sometimes filled up—it may be for the building of " concrete mendacities "—they are sometimes used, as in part of the recent Parish Council acquisition, as a drain. Such earthworks on the foot-hills of the Chilterns, as contrasted with those on the Berkshire Downs or the Cotswolds, are usually made beautiful by trees and shrubs, which are often felled and sometimes left lying. As in parts of Germany all land above a certain altitude automatically belongs to the nation, as in Belgium all streams are sanctuaries if there is woodland on both banks, so we might vest all land of a standard historic interest in a national trust. The regional surveys, now become general, would supply the evidence and such places can be " scheduled," like Lord Desborough's and Lord Astor's houses and gardens on the Thames without change of ownership.
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