As Highways England continue to develop plans for the A303 at Stonehenge and MPs are now starting to question harm that could be done on a global scale if they get it wrong, I wanted to share my personal thoughts.

I am humbled to be one of the former mayors of Amesbury and Founding Chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust.

Each year since 2011 I have been privileged to be involved in the archaeological dig alongside the A303 at a site now known as Blick Mead which is behind the listed Amesbury Abbey and Gardens. Blick Mead is a totally unique site in the British Isles, it holds an abundance of untouched organic archaeology and Mesolithic flintwork in an undisturbed historic landscape which has unlocked the story of why Stonehenge is where it is and what life was like as far back as the end of the Ice Age.

From the largest haul of flint blades ever found, to boiled animal bones, juniper berries, trout, salmon and cooked toads legs, year upon year in a short two week dig, the site just keeps giving more and more. Three years ago, to everyone's amazement the team found the base of an eco house, a hearth, burnt flint, a North South pointing standing stone and incredibly what appeared to be a man made footpath leading to the original waters edge of the River Avon.

In October last, with trust funding, through the kind donations of many friends and the university of Buckingham, the team, comprising some of the countries greatest Archaeologists and arguably one of the best lithics expert known carefully lifted this feature in 400mm squares to uncover a time capsule to our past. This unbelievable treasure trove comprised of carefully placed tools, bones of the Aurochs and right by the waters edge, footprints of the mighty animal itself.

Seeing these for the first time in 8,000 years was indescribable but brought home how important this discovery really is.

In the seven years I have been involved, I have never seen an archaeological dig like this, where only key hole investigation is carried out and where the soil removed is 100 per cent sifted and analysed.

Furthermore and critically it is the water table here that has preserved the organic remains, creating an in situ archive of our past like no other known.

All of this is of course at risk with the plans for the A303.

When the road was constructed in the 1960s. The water table at Blick Mead fell approximately 2ft. Thankfully by luck more than judgement the organics were deep enough to survive.

But any change now to the landscape at the Eastern end especially where the portal is and where a flyover will be built, will change the water flows and within a short period of time will wipe out our past and all hope of further discovery.

This site sits within the World Heritage Landscape.

As a former highway engineer, I have raised serious doubts about the 100 year lifespan tunnel and its actual need or purpose other than to destroy the WHS and remove a 5,000-year-old free view of the Stones, just to get to Cornwall eight minutes faster on an average day by 2030!

There are much cheaper simpler and wider solutions that would remove the need to do anything at Stonehenge and give road users in South Wiltshire a choice that avoids Gridlocks on busy days but also unlocks Salisbury at this important time for rediscovery.

Andy Rhind-Tutt

Amesbury