Hellfire corner gets smaller and smaller

[Guest jumberly]

Totally agree.

[Simon R]

Problem oriented excavation.

Researching an idea about the landscape, not just picking at it with a metal detector.

[FredJCarss]

Very interesting thread this one.

At least once or twice a year my wife and I take a holiday to the battlefields and love the time we spend in YPRES. the Architecture (even though reconstructed), the friendly people, the nice bars and restaurants make it an ideal base for wandering the battlefields. Its a shame that all the developement will ultimately kill off the tourists if there is nothing left to see. I understand progress must happen but like in so much of this world the cost could be too great when viewed with hindsite.

More people seem to be interested in The Great War than ever before so what to do for the best?

Preserved areas are great but even in the years we have wandered the various battlefields they have changed. On the Somme Beaumont Hamel you used to be able to walk where you chose - not any more, they have done a but of tidying up/sanitising of the area, guides are now there and I intitailly thought this would be good until I overheard one talking to a visitor. He was asked "what's down that way," in the direction of the Cemetery (where I was going), his reply was that there was nothing of importance down there enraged me and I had to walk away quickly. D*** it there are men buried down there that gave their lives and are the reason the park is there. I left feeling that all is not well with preservation.

I dont have the answer but if people dont waken up to the potential then so many areas will have modern and I hope productive industry - but nobody will want to visit there.

Fred

[Bert Heyvaert]

Dear friends,

Finally, it seems like things are starting to move in the world of archaeology in Flanders. A group of proffessors and proffessional archaeologists raised the 'Forum Vlaamse archeologie', and are giving their first press-conference today. Their purpose is to finally face the fact that archaeology in Flanders is starting to become a small disaster, with excavations not being able to finish before developers coming in, and huge areas simply not being subjected to archaeolgical research before being developed. A seriuos lack of archaeologists, planning, and funds. A year after graduation, 7 in 10 of all new archaeologists are still unemployed. In the netherlands f.i., employment among new archaeologists is almost 100%!

Their most important demands: Goverment regulations regarding archaeological research, as soon as possible: developer pays all costs as agreed in the conference of malta (La Valetta) and finally a complete integration of archaeological heritage and research in the planning process for development.

If this kicks in, it will have a huge impact for battlefield archaeology, and I think the archaeological landscape we have now (several small volunteer groups and one understaffed proffessional service) will change completely. I am most curious what the future will bring.

Development on places like Hellfire corner to go archaeologically undocumented will become impossible. Let's hope politicians have ears for these demands...

regards,

Bert

[tammilnad]

I know this reply is a bit late. But last year I had to have a report made for the province regarding the situation of my property and the surrounding area.

I went to the land registry office of Ieper and they sent me the official part of the land and everytihng that should be on there.

To my surprise the enormous bunker at the bottom of my garden is not on the kadaster card (land register). I went to the registry office (is part of the inland revenue) and asked the official why this bunker was not on the register.His simple reply was, because no official planning permission was asked for they are not registered and not interesting for the tax man because no taxes can be levied on them. So to them non existant.

Unless an object is protected by being made a monument or something like that, you can do what you like with it, because it does not exist.

Amazing.

[Bert Heyvaert]

Not sure where you live Tamnilnad, but maybe two young women and an elderly man payed you a visit not so long ago to photograph, measure and document the bunker on your property? An inventory of WW1 relicts is being made by the province of Western Flanders, but they might have missed your bunker. Understandable, as there is no central inventroy yet. they could start from. Let's hope their work will be linked to the d-base of ruimtelijke ordening (planning authorities) so any potential developments harming WW1 heritage (only the heritage visible above ground so far...) will at least not go undetected.

regards,

Bert