Important remains could be destroyed if a housing estate is built on a protected archaeological site in Lawford, about 100 kilometres northeast of London. At a recent parish council meeting residents expressed concern over plans to build 110 homes on a Scheduled Ancient Monument site which could date to 10,200 BCE.
     The henge appears as a ring in a field at the highest point in the Tendring Peninsula.
     Phil Cunningham of the Manningtree Museum and Local History Group, says: "There will be considerable impact on the Neolithic monument, which must be preserved in its original rural landscape", adding that "it will make no sense to future generations if surrounded and obscured by housing development. The monument is of similar age to the Neolithic stone circle at Stonehenge and should be shown the same respect."
     John Hall says councillors and residents were amazed - even people who have lived in Lawford for more than 50 years did not know much about the monument. There were archaeological digs at the site in the 1960s and 1970s, and Hall says there could also be remains of a Roman road, buildings, pottery, or other findings at the site.
     A spokesman for the developer says: "A detailed programme of archaeological investigation has been undertaken and has led to the sympathetic design of this scheme." If the development is approved, the monument would be in an area of open space with homes built around it. Tendring Council has the final decision on the plans.

Edited from Braintree & Witham Times (22 December 2017)