A SALISBURY man is just one of the unsung heritage heroes celebrated with a special night time illumination at Stonehenge.

Images of eight individuals from heritage sites across the country were beamed on to the stones earlier this week, chosen because of their dedication and commitment to the sector over the years.

TV historian Sir Tony Robinson was unable to attend the event due to coronavirus measures, but instead unveiled the spectacle through a video projection.

Salisbury based Stonehenge operations manager James Rodliff was one of the figures honoured at the monument, as he worked with a small team to ensure the care and conservation of the 5,000-year-old monument during the first national lockdown.

He was also instrumental in planning for the safe reopening of the site.

He said: “In operations we live for the extraordinary and love a challenge, and this has certainly been a big one! Throughout the first lockdown, there wasn’t really any time at any point to really step back and take stock of it, you were just going from one thing to the next."

Talking about when the English Heritage site reopened in July, James described the first few days of visitors returning as "uplifting".

He said: “There were actually a few tears, which shows how important the site is to people. To be able to open up to the public safely and have people coming back on site – especially people who hadn’t left their house for a long time or hadn’t seen loved ones for a long time – was magical.

“Initially, the closing of the site and having to lock the gates was horrible. Although at first we thought it was going to be a couple of weeks, we then had that dawning realisation that this wasn’t going to be the case."

Salisbury Journal:

James Rodliff with Stonehenge illumination - Picture by Matt Alexander/PA Wire

The tribute to heritage champions is part of the National Lottery’s campaign to celebrate the work of thousands of people across the UK who are helping communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Responding to the illumination, Sir Tony Robinson said: “I love the fact that Stonehenge is being lit up as a tribute to some of the country’s key project workers and volunteers, letting the public know about the hard work they’ve been doing to keep our heritage accessible to everyone using National Lottery funding.

“Without the graft and tireless effort of these wonderful people, our much-loved heritage would be more at risk than ever this year.”

Other figures celebrated during the illumination included Mick Byrne from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, William Colvin who rescued a deconsecrated church in Northern Ireland, Uzo Iwobi OBE, founder of Race Council Cymru Wales, Susan Pitter from Jamaica Society in Leeds, Luke Strachan, CEO of Wild Things, Lee Turner from Penllegare Trust in Wales and Jade West, volunteer co-ordinator at the Skylark IX Recovery Trust in Scotland.

According to National Lottery research, 72 per cent of adults say outdoor spaces have had a positive effect on their mental wellbeing this year.

Ros Kerslake CBE, chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “The National Lottery is playing a crucial role in supporting heritage sites and projects during the crisis, but it’s the important role of that the thousands of amazing individuals, some of which we are celebrating and honouring today, that keep these places going and make our visits memorable.”