Save our henges

The Friends of Thornborough have never suggested that Tarmac wishes to quarry the henges, concerns expressed have been about the potential loss of archaeology due to the lowering of the water table and the impact of quarrying so close to the henge.

Friends of Thornborough represent more than 90pc of local people and are hardly a minority. It is concerning that Tarmac has not informed Chris of the importance of the archaeology contained in the site that he is working.

The henges are comparable to Stonehenge in terms of importance, their surrounding environment should be treated with similar respect. Every local person knows this and the majority are backing this approach.

Perhaps Tarmac needs to be questioned about its business plan, for on the surface it appears to have chosen a high-cost option. By not including Nosterfield in the County Minerals Plan, North Yorkshire County Council sent a clear signal to Tarmac that further quarrying in the area was against council policy, at the same time alternative areas were suggested that Tarmac appears to have ignored.

When Tarmac found the archaeology on the current quarry it will have understood its national importance, and should have realised that further attempts to destroy this would come in for stiff resistance. Even our Government and English Heritage are against further quarrying in the area.

I suggest that it is Tarmac that is putting Chris' job at risk. By ignoring the council's suggested areas for expansion of quarrying and insisting on expanding into areas that they themselves have confirmed contain highly sensitive henge-related archaeology, they have taken a high-risk strategy.

A large number of the Friends' supporters come from Nosterfield, a village with little left to quarry. These are not "nimbys" looking to prevent quarrying close to their homes, it is too late for that. These are people who have realised that they have been needlessly robbed of their heritage.

Take a look at the gravel map of North Yorkshire and compare it to our most important heritage sites, there is miles of space where quarrying can take place - why this insistence on Thornborough?

Tarmac's regional management structure has recently changed but unfortunately its approach has not. This is a real shame, both for Chris and for the Friends of Thornborough. One wonders how their shareholders would view the costs of the negative publicity they are about to incur.

GEORGE CHAPLIN

Brompton Road,

Newton le Willows.

Four castles

Sir, - I read with interest Carolyn Thorpe's Weekend Times feature: "A tale of two castles in the village that time passed by" (D&S, Mar 5).

Without wishing to be pedantic I fear that a more accurate title for her piece might have been "A tale of four castles in two villages that time passed by". May I attempt to clear up any confusion.

New Building is sited halfway between Upsall and Kirby Knowle. Upsall Castle is located within the village of Upsall. New Building, despite its proximity has little association with Upsall and has rarely been in common ownership, although, as Ms Thorpe mentions, legend has it they are connected by a secret, subterranean passage. New Building, notwithstanding its position, was the manor house to the Kirkby Knowle estate.

Upsall does not possess its own parish church nor has it ever been part of Kirby Knowle although it is now part of the Hillside Parishes. Historically Upsall was served by the parish church in South Kilvington; within which visitors and congregation can find the font removed from the medieval chapel at Upsall Castle, no doubt when it fell into ruin.

The ruins of the Scrope's medieval castle at Upsall still exist, though I am not aware of any farmhouse built within them. The sceptical and the curious can find out for themselves on Sunday, April 25, when the castle's normally private gardens are open to raise money for the Red Cross.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the impression was given that Gerald Turton may have passed on. May I reassure your readers that this is not the case. He is alive and very well.

As to the question why two medieval castles should have been built within such relative proximity? I have no idea.

ROBIN TURTON

South Kilvington,

Thirsk.

New use for school

Sir, - The people of Richmond have a few problems which are going to cost a lot of money to resolve. I hope these ideas will help.

The council proposes to demolish a school and replace it with new buildings at a cost of £8m. The school concerned is the first on the left as you enter the town from Darlington and is only some 20 years old. This appears to be a great waste of public money.

The council also proposes to build new offices at Colburn to replace the numerous houses in Frenchgate used at present.

I would like to suggest the following solutions:

* Taking over the school and using it as offices is surely possible.

* Build a new school elsewhere in the town; one site that comes to mind is the land in Reeth Road opposite the convent. This site could be extended north to include part of Westfields.

The great benefit of this plan would be to remove some of the school buses, parent cars and pupils from Darlington Road.

I feel sure that council employees would prefer working in Richmond as opposed to travelling to Colburn.

ROBERT HARDY

Park Wynd,

Richmond.

Rugby club thanks

Sir, - We wish to say a big thank-you to Guisborough Rugby Club where on Saturday, March 6, the Guisborough Big Band provided a wonderful evening of swing music for a packed audience.

Thank you to the band, to John Lunn of Enfield Chase butchers who supplied the pies and peas, and to all those who tapped their feet, ate the pies, bought raffle rickets and cheered the band.

We raised the magnificent total of £635 - proving that we can make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in the UK and throughout the world.

N M WEBB

Secretary, Guisborough Save the Children Group,

Guisborough.

Walker's thanks

Sir, - May I thank the gentleman and his wife who assisted me after I incurred a badly sprained ankle whilst walking my spaniel on Grinton Moor on Monday, March 15. I learned two things from the incident; firstly that I should inform friends in which area I intend to walk; and secondly, that in this seemingly cynical world, human kindness prevails.

PAULA A SCULLARD

Wembley,

Middlesex.