IN response to the letter published in your paper dated September 24 by Lord Lansdowne regarding the Cherhill monument.
I have lived in Calne for 25 years and I have spent many hours walking and running up and around the monument. What used to bring me such joy is now tarnished and each time I walk, drive or cycle past the monument it just makes me sad and angry.
I first contacted the National Trust at the beginning of 2016 and tried to get them to engage with me regarding the restoration of the monument. I offered to help raise funds and in order to do this, I asked for details of how much it was likely to cost to repair. I was told that this wouldn’t be possible as nothing could be done until a survey was conducted after a new architect was employed.
Getting no joy from my calls throughout the year, on January 30, 2017 I went higher up within the organisation and spoke with a lady from the trust. I offered to help raise funds for our monument, only to be told that “it wasn’t our monument, it was their monument” and I could not raise funds without the authority of the trust. I asked when the survey would be conducted and was told that it was complicated and these things took time, so I pointed out that they had had seven years.
I stated this was unacceptable and that our monument was an eyesore and deteriorating every day. I was told that the trust had boxed the monument so that it looked all right from the A4, so I’m not sure we were talking about the same monument as our monument looks sad and unloved from every angle.
I have tried for the past two years to have a meeting with the trust, but they have refused to engage with me at all times and have fobbed me off at every contact.
I have also been in contact with Historic England which has confirmed that the monument is a Grade II * scheduled monument at risk, unfortunately, it cannot make the trust fix the monument, it can only stop the trust from letting the monument deteriorate any further. Surely without intervention this is exactly what is happening each year?
I believe the survey has finally been scheduled for February 2018, but this is only the start. How long will it take the trust to start working on the monument? In an article in the Times the trust stated it they bought the land for the chalk grasslands, but in doing this it took ownership of our monument and therefore has a duty to ensure its future.
Our monument will never be a priority to the trust as it does not generate any funding. You cannot quantify how many people visit or pass and stop to see the monument and the White Horse, which can be seen for miles. 
There is no pressure on the trust to carry out this work as no one appears to be making a fuss. Well let me say now, we are making a fuss. We want our monument fixed and not in another seven years!
MRS DEBRA BASSETT
Calne