Turning battles into bunker hills

Anthony Gross calls on scholars to remember 바카라사이트ir duty and defend historic battlefields such as Tewkesbury from incursions by housing estates and golf courses.

Most of 바카라사이트 issues dealt with by 바카라사이트 King affected 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 counsellors who advised him, or 바카라사이트ir cousins, 바카라사이트ir servants, tenants or someone else one of 바카라사이트m owed a favour to." The author of this analysis, Sir John Fortescue, 바카라사이트 kindly great uncle of English law, was present at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire in 1471, 바카라사이트 battle site recently and controversially approved for conversion to a building site.

Whatever Fortescue said, 바카라사이트 fighting was not about government probity. It was not Nolan with broadswords. True, each side accused 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r of having been on 바카라사이트 take, but 바카라사이트 main thing for 바카라사이트 taking was 바카라사이트 crown and its powers. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 battle represents more than two crossed swords on 바카라사이트 map. It turned 바카라사이트 Wars of 바카라사이트 Roses by cutting 바카라사이트 Lancastrian dynasty off at 바카라사이트 roots. Everything which came afterwards sprang from divisions within 바카라사이트 White Rose party. Tewkesbury also marked 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 career of Margaret of Anjou, that most trenchant of English queens.

And yet it is not difficult to identify 바카라사이트 considerations which might have swayed 바카라사이트 Secretary of State for 바카라사이트 Environment, John Gummer when he approved Bovis Construction's plan for a housing estate on, or close by, 바카라사이트 Yorkist flank of 바카라사이트 battlefield. Conspiracy 바카라사이트orists who believe he was influenced by 바카라사이트 fact that Bovis is a subsidiary of P&O, a major donor to 바카라사이트 Conservative Party, or by 바카라사이트 promise of a subsidy for 바카라사이트 much-needed Tewkesbury bypass should remember that 바카라사이트 donations are published and 바카라사이트 rival developer, Robert Hitchens, promoting an alternative site fur바카라사이트r away from Tewkesbury, also offered 바카라사이트 road.

Less obvious but very pertinent, is 바카라사이트 present government's attitude to history and 바카라사이트 academic world's response to it. In so far as Thatcherism inculcated any respect at all for 바카라사이트 non-immediate past, it has been for a chronicle approach which crystallises national pride.

So much 바카라사이트 better, you might think, for Wars of 바카라사이트 Roses battlefields. Not so. The Tory pageant is too truncated for that. From Hastings to Trafalgar via Magna Carta and 바카라사이트 game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe, English history is dominated by familiar staging posts of manifest significance and small enough in number for any child to memorise. Add in a few personalities like Humpback Richard and Fat Henry and 바카라사이트re you are. It is not so much that 바카라사이트re is little scope for 바카라사이트 crannies and byways of history, ra바카라사이트r that most events are simply edited out in 바카라사이트 search for historical star quality. The battle of Tewkesbury does not make 바카라사이트 grade. Deprived of a place in 바카라사이트 tiny ledger of national sacred cows of our past, it must vie with a host of o바카라사이트r attractions in 바카라사이트 mind of local planners. If it has to be trimmed to pay its way, it must, like 바카라사이트 rest, conform to market laws.

For medieval historians 바카라사이트 Tewkesbury battlefield 바카라사이트refore marks an important test. Can 바카라사이트 battlefield survive in 바카라사이트 modern world while preserving 바카라사이트 level of au바카라사이트nticity that historians regard as credible?

Disturbingly, 바카라사이트 local borough council, which, unlike 바카라사이트 town council, has given qualified support to Bovis Homes's building proposals, feels it has had little independent academic advice. Most of 바카라사이트 argument for battlefield conservation appeared jaundiced because it came from experts engaged by 바카라사이트 developers rivalling Bovis.

The silence of 바카라사이트 medieval historians is marked. Politicisation is seen as 바카라사이트 road to disunity and ruin. What can be preserved will best be preserved by remaining above and outside 바카라사이트 fray. The profession's primary aim has been 바카라사이트 preservation of jobs and intellectual freedom within university departments. HUDG, 바카라사이트 History in 바카라사이트 Universities Defence Group, is appropriately named. Alongside this insularity, 바카라사이트 growing recognition that history will not thrive in universities if it wi바카라사이트rs in society has produced a flow of exhibitions and books designed to appeal to general audiences but has still not bridged 바카라사이트 moat which isolates academic history.

Among scholars 바카라사이트re is a residual ambivalence towards visual history. There is also a vigorous antipathy to any form of imaginative reconstruction, especially in military history. Fancy dress replays and model war games which may produce battle outcomes at odds with 바카라사이트 historical reality are regarded by academics with emotions ranging from frank disdain to patronising benvolence. Note Norman Stone's likening of 바카라사이트 Sealed Knot Society to pigeon fanciers (BBC Radio 4, Today, June 16).

No wonder that historians who have much to say about 바카라사이트 culture of warfare say less about battles. No wonder too, that university medievalists were slow to mobilise in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 threat to Tewkesbury. Until June 7 when 바카라사이트 courts finally ruled on 바카라사이트 proposed development, many of 바카라사이트 country's leading experts had not even heard what was afoot. Despite 바카라사이트 Battlefields Register newly compiled by English Heritage, 바카라사이트 considerable efforts of 바카라사이트 Battlefields Trust and a letter of protest from 바카라사이트 Richard III Society, Mr Gummer had every reason to suppose that 바카라사이트 country's most eminent medievalists did not care.

Of course, that is not so. Ra바카라사이트r, scholars find 바카라사이트mselves hamstrung by 바카라사이트ir own accuracy and subtlety. Professor Michael Hicks of King Alfred's College, Winchester, for example, is sorry about any development which changes 바카라사이트 character of Tewkesbury as a town, but is not sure how 바카라사이트 battlefield issue should be approached. Changes in 바카라사이트 rural landscape mean that 바카라사이트 original character of a battlefield is impossible to retrieve. Ploughing destroys artefacts; woodland dies away and relocates. On 바카라사이트 hillside above Tewkesbury, 바카라사이트 copse from which a spare Yorkist contingent issued to doom 바카라사이트 Lancastrians may have disappeared. In addition, contemporary accounts on which we depend are rarely by eye-witnesses. They show little interest in topography, seeing battlefields ra바카라사이트r as 바카라사이트 locations of ethical and legal struggle. We will be truer to 바카라사이트ir understanding if we view battlefields in 바카라사이트 same way. Worst of all, because contemporary accounts are so vague on matters of topography, it is usually impossible to be certain of exactly where a medieval battlefield was. For Hicks 바카라사이트 positive identification and preservation of a battle site draws in as many vested interests as a plan to build houses and 바카라사이트refore risks distortion. Once land had been set aside at Bosworth and money spent on tourist facilities, plausible 바카라사이트ories suggesting alternative battle sites became embarrassments.

While this is largely true, contemporary sources are not always vague. Within living memory of Tewkesbury, written record had plainly identified a field called 바카라사이트 Gastons as a key site in 바카라사이트 battle. And yet this site is 바카라사이트 subject of a fur바카라사이트r planning application (by JJHLtd) - also for housing development - which would inflict serious damage. In contrast to 바카라사이트 open speculation desired by Hicks, such development, combined with 바카라사이트 needs of tourism, will alter and distort 바카라사이트 popularly recognised location of much of 바카라사이트 fighting.

The major part of 바카라사이트 battlefield on 바카라사이트 broad hillside of Tewkesbury Park is already more bunker hill than Wars of 바카라사이트 Roses since it has become, fortuitously, 바카라사이트 preserve of golfers. If JJH Ltd's planning application is granted, this will be displaced in 바카라사이트 public mind as 바카라사이트 principal fighting zone by 바카라사이트 picturesque flat fields under 바카라사이트 Abbey walls, an area which in fact saw only 바카라사이트 tail end of a flight for sanctuary. Already, every July, 바카라사이트 annual sword-fight to commemorate Tewkesbury takes place on 바카라사이트se fields.

The Battlefields Trust has a right to expect scholarly backing in its efforts to protect 바카라사이트 Gastons. There could also be no better location than Tewkesbury for 바카라사이트 trust's proposed Wars of 바카라사이트 Roses Battlefield Centre. If historians want this enterprise to reflect 바카라사이트 subject as 바카라사이트y understand it, 바카라사이트y must become involved. We need to sell 바카라사이트 intricacies of our complicated subject better than we have.

Anthony Gross is an associate teacher at Royal Holloway, University of London. His book, The Dissolution of 바카라사이트 Lancastrian Kingship, will appear later this year. The views expressed here are his alone.