I have reached out to local Member of Parliament, Jon Trickett, to raise my concerns that the Iron Age hillfort/camp in South Kirkby is at risk of destruction, along with various other known Roman and later era archaeological sites, along with the loss of ancient woodland. HS2 documents have made clear that the route of the proposed line cuts through South Elmsall, Moorthorpe and South Kirkby in such a way that it seems an almost deliberate act of heritage destruction.

The camp is a scheduled ancient monument and is listed on the Historic England ‘At Risk’ register, which in itself raises questions about the poor management of the site by Wakefield Council and others. I spoke with Wakefield Express this week about my concerns and was glad to see that Jon joined me in speaking up against the proposed route.

I made clear: “As a key feature on the landscape, South Kirkby Camp provides a link to the past. It is a space for a shared experience of the history of South Kirkby and prehistoric northern England. Despite the Industrial Revolution and the coming of heavy industry to South Kirkby changing the landscape substantially, the site has remained. Therefore the site holds a strong historic value.”

I am pleased that Jon Trickett has agreed to meet with HS2 Ministers to raise the concerns I highlighted in depth to him, last week.