London - A retired businessman who owns one of Britain’s most important prehistoric monuments caused serious damage with illegal building work, a court heard.
Roger Penny, 73, bought one of the four giant earthwork rings, known as Priddy Circles, as a pension investment.
The rings – which date back to 3,000BC – are a Scheduled Ancient Monument built at the same time as Stonehenge. They have been described by English Heritage as “probable Neolithic ritual or ceremonial monuments similar to a henge”.
Penny hired two contractors to “tidy” and renovate the area, near the village of Priddy on Somerset’s Mendip Hills, but failed to get permission from English Heritage.
One contractor used rubble to fill swallet holes, natural holes inside the ring which may be the key to its creation.
Moving a gate led to agricultural machinery driving through the circle, making ruts, the court heard.
Penny, from Litton, Somerset, admitted causing or permitting works to a scheduled monument without consent.
He was ordered to pay £37,000 (about R450 000) for restoration work, fined £2,500 and told to pay costs of £7,500. Prosecutor David Maunder told Taunton Crown Court: “These circles are regarded as among a small group of the country’s most important prehistoric monuments, with enormous potential to inform us about the Neolithic period, and in archaeological terms are internationally significant.” The court heard Penny bought a house and adjoining land, which included one of the rings.
He wanted to renovate and let the properties, and instructed contractors to clear gorse and bracken, move a gate and help rebuild a wall. But he did so without contacting English Heritage to ask for advice about how to carry out the work.
He knew the circle was scheduled and told the contractors not to touch the ring, but because part of the site is not visible to the naked eye “serious damage” was caused. Charles Rowe, defending, said his client deeply regretted what had happened.
Recorder Jeremy Wright told Penny: “Although the part you bought might not have been visually spectacular, commonsense would have told you the land inside the circle was also important.” - Daily Mail