Since the mid-19th century, much of Salisbury Plain has been used for military training. and large areas of the Plain have consequently escaped the intensive post-war arable farming regime which has characterised the majority of the southern English chalk lands. The military training areas therefore retain a wealth of well-preserved archaeological monuments and extensive relict historic landscapes. The primary function of these areas remains military training, a requirement which can, on occasion, conflict with the best management of the archaeological resource. The recent large-scale withdrawal of troops from Germany has resulted in a dramatic increase in the level of military training taking place on the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) and has put considerable pressure on many of its monuments. Potential hazards include direct threats such as damage by tracked vehicles, digging of slit trenches and gun emplacements, and the planting of trees to provide training features, but also problems caused by severe scrub growth, burrowing animals, and inappropriate grazing regimes.
Although the MOD attempted to provide some protection for monuments from shortly after the Second World War, early efforts were crude and occasionally misguided. In some cases, upright railway sleepers designed to safeguard vulnerable monuments from vehicles were driven into the monument itself. Despite continuing improvements in recent years, such as the replacement of the old star-shaped scheduled monument markers by 'no digging' signs, it has become clear that further effort was required to safeguard archaeological sites. In recognition of the importance of the Salisbury Plain monuments and the particular management demands caused by military training, EH agreed that a Field Monument Warden should be dedicated to work in the SPTA, to advise the Defence Estate Organisation on the conservation and management of archaeological remains, as well as reporting on the condition of monuments.
The Defence Estate Organisation (DEO) began to implement proposals for the improved protection of sites and approved by a panel which includes the DEO's Nature Conservation Officer, the County Archaeologist, and a military representative. The first priority has been the physical protection of over 60 scheduled monuments by improving signing around them and, where necessary, diverting tracks which impinged upon them. The work is carried out by the DEO's own team of foresters under the supervision of the Field Monument Warden.
A first attempt to protect an extensive barrow cemetery involved enclosing groups of barrows within an 'envelope' of signs. Whilst this has been successful in preventing further damage, it has been detrimental to the visual amenity of the monument and this approach has subsequently been refined by using a cordon of tanalised timber fencing posts as a barrier with less frequent provision of signs. This system has proved to be extremely effective, still deterring vehicles but with less visual intrusion in the landscape. As no fencing wire is used, the monuments can continue to be grazed: an important factor as the monuments are also valued from an ecological perspective for the range of good grassland habitats provided on their slopes. Signing of the monuments was accompanied a programme of rabbit control and by tree and scrub clearance which has done much to restore their visual integrity. A great amount of work remains to be done within the Training Area, initiating new projects and maintaining existing work, but this year's achievements represent an important first step in securing best management for these important sites.
