The Fight For Seahenge
by Des Straif Crow
In May 1999 I was at Lodge Farm in Surry with its Oak Grove and stone circle in the making. A message was passed on to me from a Norfolk resident Sam, she had attended a public meeting at Holme, Norfolk and was very concerned about the actions of English Heritage and their plans to start removing the Oak Circle the next day and they had stated that they intended to have all the Oaks removed within one month (just before the Summer Solstice). Local people were outraged and I shared their concerns, I decided to make my way up to Norfolk.
I arrived at Sams a week or so later and we went off to the circle, parked up and walked half a mile or so till we reached the site. English Heritage had employed Norfolk Archaeologists and they had already taken a chainsaw to the centre Oak; removing a large section which included the western direction marker. They had also removed a number of the outer Oaks, bare foot I entered the circle.
I felt a gentle energy present and then from the centre Oak a wonderful rush of energy, I felt there was work to do here. I wasnt sure what, I followed my intuition and guidance. I went back to the van and waited for morning low tide. Morning came, I walked barefoot down to the circle and watched the tide go out and the Oaks emerge, physically quite a small site but on other levels massive.
Norfolk Archaeologists arrived in their Landrovers (they had stuck metal stakes in the sand in and around the circle which felt very wrong). I asked them about their intentions, they told me they intended to remove the Oaks. I told them I intended to stop them, I went in and sat on the centre Oak and meditated. Norfolk Archaeologists now had put a circle of sand bags around the outer Oaks to prevent sea and sand washing into their dig. So it came to me to remove the sand bags to allow back in sand and sea, so I threw the bags out, they tried to put them back, so I threw them out and so on. They asked me to stop throwing out the sandbags, I asked them to stop digging up the Oaks, they started up their pump, I switched it off. I appealed to them to stop their works and leave the Oaks be. They called the police, the police asked me to leave the circle, I refused and they eventually went away. The archaeologists also went away as the tide started to come back in, washing around the Oaks, covering the central Oak.
During that day I performed a ritual connecting with and honouring Seahenge. I walked back to the van, then at low tide that night went back with nobody around, with Land, Sea, Stars, Birds, Oaks, Spirits and Ancestors performed another more voiced ritual, asking for guidance, help, honouring Manannan and the place. The sun by this time had set, it was getting dark, I felt full of energy and stared to remove the sandbags and the metal stakes put there by Norfolk Archaeologists. I lost track of time and was about to head back when I saw a bright light heading towards me. It was the police. I explained that I felt very strongly that the Oaks should not be dug up and it would be better to let nature take its course and allow these energies to disperse throughout the sea, land and lives of all without disruption. They asked me to report to the police station in the morning, so I did and no further action was taken.
I went to visit T, acquired a Heather (Ur) ogham stick on the way, parked up round Ts and slept and dreamt a dream if Rhiannon. In the morning I went round Ts and she starts to read out an invocation to Rhiannon which she thought felt good for the Oak (Duir) circle, Goddess connected to birds, sea, horses and Oaks which linked to another dream of three white horses curled up nose to tail, with pink eyes above the sea, above the Oak circle.
Well now the natural forces of Mother Nature, her tides and children continued to hamper the efforts of English Heritage and Norfolk Archaeologists. Then the shout went out that they intended to remove the centre Oak on the 15th June 1999. Men, Women, Children and a couple of dogs gathered in and around the Oak circle, Norfolk Archaeologists were in their Landrovers with the police, English Heritage, council officials and media. English Heritage asked us to leave the site, saying it was dangerous because of the deep holes they had dug to remove some of the Oaks. The water was up to our knees so we couldnt see the ground, none of us ever fell down any of their holes.
We looked up the beech and saw three diggers approaching, belching out roaring black smoke and chewing up the beach, tools of destruction, that for years have been tearing up our lands, trees and now our Sacred Sites. We stood our ground inviting others to come in, connect and protect. The diggers stopped about one hundred yards or so from the circle, we shouted to them to leave, we were asked to move away by the police, we refused. Buster, a man who has built an upside down tree circle to symbolise the plight of the trees, spoke well for the Oaks, we played music, drummed, didged, sang, chanted and read poetry:-
The circle in the sea causing ripples across the country,
Through you, through me, the Oaks they do call connecting us all,
The circle in the sea empowering you, empowering me,
Connecting us all across the country, ebb and flow the energys rising
The seas are rising, you, me and the Old Ones rising.
Spells cast, circles will last, future present and past,
As they dig up in the circle, we all feel the pain, calling us all, uniting again
The circle in the sea calling to you and calling to me
The circle of the Old Oak Trees.
Des Crow
Anyway then David Miles, Chief Archaeologist of English Heritage decided he would come in the circle and speak with us, he carefully stepped through the outer Oaks, took a couple of steps and plunged down one of the deep holes that Norfolk Archaeologists had dug (throughout our time there David Miles was the only person to fall down one of the holes). I fished him out and we talked, we expressed sadness and outrage with English Heritages actions, he expressed regret regarding the use of the chainsaw, he agreed it was a sacred site, probably the most important of the century. He wanted to remove the circle before the sea reclaimed it, so they could work out how it was built. We explained that much could be learned with the site intact and in situ and that the nature of this coastline meant that the sands would soon cover the circle again and lets let Nature take her course and allow the energy of these Oaks, situated on a cross over point of Leys, be dispersed throughout the sea and throughout the lands. He listened to our words, we listened to his, we stayed to defend the circle, we guided him safely out and he went to talk to his men and police.
We held a ceremony to honour and celebrate this place of magic and mystery, the sea again started to wash around and cover the Oaks. The diggers were sent away accompanied by great cheers and rejoicing the sea covered the circle, love, respect and honour to our ancestors.
A day or so later English Heritage stated that they would stop work until we all had sat down together to discuss the site, we took their word (we shouldnt have, we learnt later), they had gone back and removed two more outer Oaks).
We contacted many Pagan organisations and received huge support for our actions and for the circle to stay in place. I made plans to go down to Glastonbury for the Summer Solstice, the day before I was going to leave, my van broke down which kept me in East Anglia. I knew I needed to be at Seahenge for the Summer Solstice, the time when English Heritage had originally intended it all to be removed by. Why were they acting in such haste? What forces were pulling their strings? Did they really know what they were doing? We followed our hearts and did what we felt was right.
A group of about six of us arrived at Holme Bay at about midnight, the tide was up so we couldnt see the Oak circle. We marked a circle in the sand on line with Seahenge and performed a ritual, then took shelter behind the dunes, began our vigil and awaited the Summer Solstice sunrise, Alban Herwin, The Light of the Shore, the centre and turn of the year. Herwin the shore, the meeting place of sea and land: where the two borders wash and tremble together in a circle around the Earth.
Facing N/E we contemplated life, death, Spirit, matter, love, loss, new beginnings and awaited the sun and as dawn approached, the sky getting lighter, energy rising, Sun rising, we headed to our circle on the beach and as we did amongst the dunes along the beach came many others all emerging to greet the Sun at this time, at this place. It was breath taking, we moved into our circle and circles of people were forming along the beech, some standing alone, yet we were all together. The suns rays glimmered light and sharp on the horizon across the waves in through the N/E of the Oak circle. We celebrated with ceremony and drew the Awen in the sand. We could see then that out of the Solstices and Equinoxes, the Summer Solstice was the only time when the Sun rose above the sea and it is my feeling that 4,000 + years ago when the sea was further out; the Summer Solstice Sun rise would have been the point were the sea met land met.
There was much hugs and happiness and we headed off to Ts house, there we received a phone call and a meeting was arranged for the next day. Very short notice but apparently this was the only time that David Mile could make it. This, unfortunately, meant others couldnt and some felt they had no more to say to English Heritage.
Everybody there had a good chance to talk and listen, there was some good ground covered with English Heritage saying they would act differently in the future. I heard Norfolk Archaeology and English Heritage and English Natures view points, even though I didnt agree with them all. I said that I felt the Oak circle should remain and those pieces removed should be replaced. Unfortunately English Heritage and Norfolk Archaeologists said they fully intended to remove the Oak circle and it was suggested that IF this happened another should be put in its place.
Unfortunately the outcome of the meeting has been distorted by a number of sources, including a report of the meeting which has been published and sent to a number of websites, including the Time Team website. Some articles suggested that everyone had agreed that the Oaks should be removed. This was not the case, we didnt have a problem with archaeological investigation but we did not agree to the removal of the Oak circle.
Anyway I continued with my actions to prevent the removal of the Oaks. We held another ceremony there in which we invited Norfolk Archaeologists to join us. They wouldnt. Myself and others including Buster and Si continued our work there. National Archaeologists continued to dig, we spoke our feelings and listened to them say:- remove the Oaks before the sea takes them. Our reply:- its natures way, let it be. National Archaeologists:- remove them to stop people walking on the peat beds. Our reply:- as soon as people were made aware of the peat beds they didnt walk on them. National Archaeologists:- Remove them to stop visitors disturbing the nesting birds. Our reply:- the nesting grounds were over quarter of a mile away and people visiting acted with respect to the birds and the place where as English Heritage and Norfolk Archaeologists dug up the beach which caused the sea to rush down into deep holes and wash away the peat, they bought Landrovers, Pumps, diggers, pollution, noise destruction and disrespect to the land, the people, the Oaks.
On the 1st July 99 Rollo, Glastonbury Order of Druids joined us and performed a ceremony honouring the Oak Circle and place and made a proclamation for and by the Druids for the people, we again asked English Heritage and Norfolk Archaeologists to stop their work, a TV camera man was stopped filming by police, we ranted and read poetry:-
What is between Sea and Sand.
A circle of mystery the magic of this land,
Rising again, touching us all.
Listen to the birds, hear their call.
Earths people unite.
Stand up for what you believe is right.
Here and now, Hear and know.
Listen to the trees, hear their call.
Feel their knowledge absorb their wisdom.
The circle in the sea, calls to you and me.
Sun rise, Sun set, The moon, the tide,
Brother and Sister, side by side.
Warriors of old reunite,
Reborn again then the trees Night
How far shall we go, what next step should we take?
We follow our hearts, the truth within and at the end,
We just begin.
The circle of our lives, the harmony of our lands,
Together in love, heart to heart and hand in hand.
Crow.
The archaeologists enter our circle again and start again to dig like greed stricken creatures devouring a magical living being, it all became very symbolic to me. How a certain percentage of human kind act with greed, destruction, disconnection and ignorance digging up the lands and now our sacred sites. The sea started to come back in. The archaeologists, the police, and media left.
Buster and Si had gone for a sit down in the dunes and as I stood in the sea watching the waves lap around and over the Oaks, I felt the energy flow stronger than ever before, from the leys, the Oaks through the sea and into me. Rushes of energy, my whole body spirit fills with energy, its alive and happening. I walk up the dunes, we walk off the beach, and head down the track towards my van. A barn owl, in broad daylight swooping down in front of us all the way, then it swoops off inland. So after a drink we gave our thanks and said our goodbyes and the rains came down hard. I stripped off and danced and cleansed in the waters of life, then dried off, dressed and headed into Holme, connecting strongly with the trees and sharing that energy from the Oaks of the past, to the trees of the present for the trees of the future.
The next day injunctions came into force. We appeared at the Royal High Court of Justice. Rollo spoke well, we all had our say. Injunctions against Buster and myself were upheld. English Heritage were told to consult more fully in the future. The magic of the Oak circle continues to flow strong and the story continues..
Blessed Be
Crow