Battle of Fulford archaeologist loses High Court fight

AN archaeologist has lost his attempt to force English Heritage to register land in York as the site of a major battle.

Charles Jones had argued Germany Beck was the most likely site of the Battle of Fulford. Persimmon Homes has permission to build 655 homes on the site despite significant local oppoisition.

English Heritage, which protects and promotes historical sites round the country, took advice from a Battlefield Advisory Panel and refused in November 2012 to designate the Fulford site on an official Battlefield Register. The decision was upheld on review in July 2013.

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English Heritage experts concluded that even though it was “probable” Germany Beck was the battlefield site the evidence was “insufficiently conclusive” to “securely identify” it for registration.

And yesterday Mr Justice Lindblom, sitting in London, ruled its decision not to register “impeccable”.

The judge said of his decision: “He may be right in his belief that the battle was fought at Germany Beck.

“But the court’s task in these proceedings has not been to decide whether his conclusion in Finding Fulford is sound, but only whether the refusal of English Heritage to add the site to hits battlefields register was legally flawed.

“And in my view there was no error of law.”