North York Moors: Offroaders used chainsaws to break into ancient site and cause more damage

Offroaders are suspected of using a chainsaw to break back into a historic site to cause more damage, archaeologists say.

The Iron Age enclosure, in Wykeham Forest, near Hackness, Scarborough, has been repeatedly targeted, with four-wheel drive vehicles returning with a chainsaw to cut through trees which had been felled in a bid to block access.

The damage was first spotted at the site in early December by members of Scarborough Archaeological Society.

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Steps were taken to try and protect the site, which is in the North York Moors National Park, but when officials returned last week they found it had been to no avail.

Chainsaws were used to get onto the historic siteChainsaws were used to get onto the historic site
Chainsaws were used to get onto the historic site

The settlement, which is thought to date back some 2,500 years, consists of a large rectangular enclosure surrounded by a ditch.

But vehicles have been driven over the earth banks and ditches during or after wet weather and have caused severe rutting, churn-up and disturbance to the ground.

One of the ancient banks has been eroded down to the rubble core.

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Miles Johnson, Head of Historic Environment at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said they’d gathered evidence at the site which they hope to use to identify the suspects.

It has caused severe damage to the site which is around 2,500 years oldIt has caused severe damage to the site which is around 2,500 years old
It has caused severe damage to the site which is around 2,500 years old

He said it was astonishing the lengths people had gone to get back into the clearly blocked area.

Mr Johnson said: "I suspect it’s a small group of people and this is now part of one of their regular routes. It was depressing seeing that they’d chainsawed through the logs and clearly come equipped.

"The damage covers a corner of the site, maybe 10 to 15 per cent of the monument’s area, and some of that is really severe.

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"I’m sure it’s fun riding up and down the banks but it’s irreplaceable and once it’s gone it’s gone forever. It has lost that bit of history.”

Offroaders have been to the site repeatedlyOffroaders have been to the site repeatedly
Offroaders have been to the site repeatedly

It comes after Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service, said it was working with local residents and police to tackle a "devastating" and "very prevalent" problem of off-road bikers, who have been using ancient monuments across the region, as ramps and racetracks.

Driving a vehicle, including a car, quad bike or motorcycle, off-road without permission of the landowner is an offence.

Damage to a Scheduled Monument is also a criminal offence under the 1979 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas act.

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Katie Thorn, Historic Environment Advisor at Forestry England, said: “We manage over 200 scheduled monuments on Forestry England land in Yorkshire.

"Illegal off roading is detrimental to the management of these important sites.

"Working closely with North York Moors National Park Authority and Historic England we are aiming to repair the site to ensure it survives for future generations.”

North Yorkshire Police is asking anyone with information to contact them on 101.

Both Wykeham and Langdale Forests have faced "significant" damage from vehicles in the past.

The force said they did regular patrols to try and protect the sites.

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