Latest news with #StuartCox
Times
02-08-2025
- Times
‘Stone stacks are against the Countryside Code — so I kick them down'
A couple of weeks ago a hiker called Stuart Cox — aka the Peak District Viking — achieved five minutes of fame when he posted a Facebook video showing him kicking down cairns on the Derbyshire hill known as Mam Tor. These weren't real cairns, raised over centuries as waymarkers. Rather, they were the stone stacks that tourists now leave in beauty spots and wild places, and Cox doesn't see his behaviour as vandalism. Instead, he considers their destruction to be an act of conservation. Some might say that building a pile of rocks and posting pictures of it on Instagram is a gentle, artistic endeavour that hurts nobody and is as innocent as building a sandcastle. These same people might have similarly benign opinions on the release of paper lanterns at sunset, the attachment of love locks to bridges or, indeed, the carving of initials into ancient monuments. Countryside lovers like Cox say otherwise. 'The craze really got going post-pandemic,' he says. 'It's all fuelled by social media, and as soon as one appears, more start popping up, and because the damage it causes isn't obvious, people see it as a harmless way of engaging with nature.' In the Peak District the National Trust has mobilised volunteers to demolish stacks made with rocks taken from the 16th-century Peak Forest Wall, which, it says, 'are not only impacting the history of the site, but also affecting the natural habitats of wildlife that live and feed within these ancient walls'. In the longer term it will disrupt the delicate balance of the landscape. • Read our full guide to the Peak District 'We are therefore asking visitors to please help us preserve this special place for future generations by refraining from creating stone stacks at Mam Tor and the surrounding National Trust land.' There are more than 170,000 pictures of rock stacks posted on Instagram, and you'll find people piling stones on almost any beach, lakeside, riverbank, mountaintop or viewpoint within easy walking distance of a car park. Conservation authorities from northern Norway to South Africa are unanimous in their condemnation. In Yosemite National Park in California rangers have asked visitors to dismantle any unofficial cairns they find, and in Queensland, Australia, the construction of a rock stack has been classified as vandalism since 2022 under the Nature Conservation Act. Park rangers can issue fines of up to £336. In Iceland rock stacks are known as feroamannavortur — or tourist warts. The musician Flosi Porgeirsson says the beauty of a landscape created over thousands of years 'fades when each visitor leaves behind visible signs of their own ego'. The psychology behind the urge to stack rocks is complicated. Part of it is the so-called exceptionism we all experience when on holiday: the feeling that everyday norms do not apply. Part is the urge to impose order on nature as a form of control, and part is an animalistic urge to leave one's mark. And a lot is about social approbation — aka likes. 'There is no malice in it,' Cox says. 'Just ignorance. Rock stacks are generally built by people who aren't used to the countryside. Years ago, we had public information films like Keep Britain Tidy on the TV to educate us about the Countryside Code, but they've vanished and now entire generations are growing up with no idea of how to behave in our wild places.' It's not just the stack builders spoiling our National Parks, beaches and country parks. Disposable barbecues cause wildfires, failure to close gates imperils livestock, inconsiderate parking blocks access, and the so-called fly campers blighting the Peak District, the Lake District and parts of Scotland leave behind human waste, fire damage and, in some cases, even their camping equipment. Most insidious, though, is the litter. Despite criticism from residents and visitors, the Yorkshire Dales National Park maintains a no-bins policy in the vain expectation that tourists will take their litter home. On Scotland's North Coast 500 tourist route, the Facebook group NC500 The Dirty Truth reports on matters that the marketing people would rather you didn't see. • 18 of the most beautiful places in England In a letter to the Northern Times, the resident Davide Khalil from Sutherland explained how he had erected a sign outside his village asking NC500 tourists 'to please bury their poop' in the hope that they would 'do the courtesy of properly disposing of their excrement' as it was causing a public health problem. The solution is as much education as legislation. Public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), under which those causing a detrimental effect to our wild places can be fined, are only effective when authorities have the manpower to police their area. Perhaps one way of persuading visitors to cherish our wild places might be a rural version of the hugely successful Two-Minute Beach Clean, in which visitors to the seaside are invited to spend just a couple of minutes litter picking, with the benefit coming from the cumulative effect. The other might be to bring back Joe and Petunia, animated stars of the 1970s public information campaign. Only four films were made, but in each the protagonists ably demonstrated exactly how not to behave in the outdoors. In the episode dedicated to the Countryside Code, the pair traipse across a field of crops, leave gates open, break glass, scatter litter and let their dog Bingo 'have a lovely time playing with those sheep'. Many watching the cartoon today might recognise themselves in Joe and Petunia. All that's missing are the rock stacks. How do you feel about stone stacks? Share your views in the comments • Be considerate to those living in, working in and enjoying the countryside• Leave gates and property as you find them• Do not block access to gateways or driveways when parking • Be nice, say hello, share the space • Follow local signs and keep to marked paths unless wider access is available • Take your litter home — leave no trace of your visit • Do not light fires and only have barbecues where signs say you can• Always keep dogs under control and in sight • Dog poo — bag it and bin it in any public waste bin or take it home • Care for nature — do not cause damage or disturbance • Check your route and local conditions • Plan your adventure — know what to expect and what you can do • Enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory
BBC News
06-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Why I kick down Peak District stone stacks
BBC Stone stacks are a common sight along hiking trails up and down the UK. But one walker is on a mission to highlight the damage they can do to the environment - by kicking them over. Stuart Cox says some people have been building the stacks - some as tall as 6ft (1.8m) - using stones taken from an old wall near Mam Tor in the Peak District in Derbyshire. A recent video he filmed of himself kicking down the stacks has been watched more than a million times on social media. And the Peak District National Park Authority says the structures are "detrimental" to the area, and have become more prevalent in recent years. "Look at this," Stuart says, before swearing in frustration during his Facebook video on 20 May. "Destroy the lot of them." He then proceeds to kick down a stone stack. The 57-year-old, who works as a chartered engineer, lives in the Derbyshire village of Castleton, a short drive from Mam Tor. He's passionate about the area, and regularly documents his hikes on his Peak District Viking page. But his post about the dozens of stacks, built next to the busy Great Ridge footpath - about a 15-minute hike from the summit of Mam Tor - has received the most engagement. "The majority of people have been quite supportive saying: 'Yeah, I hate them. We reduce them back to their natural state if we see them. Totally agree with you'," he said. "Then I had the opposite reaction which was: 'Don't tell me what to do. I'll build them if I want and I'll carry on regardless'. "I even had a couple of threats by private message, but I don't worry about those." The Peak District is far from the only location where stone stacks have proven problematic. For example, campaigners said towers of stones on a Scottish beach were a worrying trend. Stuart says the stacks in his video have been built using stones taken from a former boundary wall, which ran alongside the popular Great Ridge walk. He is concerned this has damaged the habitats of the small creatures - such as frogs, toads and insects - that lived inside the wall. It is a view shared by the National Trust. "The majority of the stone stacks featured in this video are not on National Trust land," a spokesperson said. "However, there have been stacks created on parts of Mam Tor, and staff and volunteers will infrequently disassemble any found." The trust says stone stacks have also been an issue on land it is responsible for. It added rangers had carried out extensive work to protect and preserve the hillfort at Mam Tor, which is a "scheduled monument and is of great archaeological importance". "The Peak Forest Wall is also historically significant, itself dating back to 1579," a spokesperson added. "Sadly, the stone stacks are not only impacting the history of the site, but they are also affecting the natural habitats of wildlife that live and feed within these ancient walls. "In the longer-term, it will disrupt the delicate balance of the landscape." Stuart says there is evidence of stones being removed from paths, which he says could lead to further erosion at an already popular walking spot. According to The Countryside Code, visitors should "leave rocks, stone, plants and trees as you find them and take care not to disturb wildlife including birds that nest on the ground". Anna Badcock, cultural heritage manager at the national park authority, says the stacks damage the "special qualities" of the national park and that the problem has got worse in recent years. "[Stone stacks] are created by stone removed from historic features," she said. "They are very detrimental to the historic environment which we have a statutory duty to conserve. "Like walkers' cairns [a marker along a trail], once one is created, it encourages more." The authority says its rangers generally do not remove the stacks "unless they are dangerous or causing an obstruction on a right of way". "We're aware that the National Trust rangers have removed some at Mam Tor for this very reason," a spokesperson added. Stuart said he had tried to make contact with the owner of the land on which the stacks are located, and had offered to help rebuild the wall. And while his video has attracted some debate on social media, he hopes it might make a small difference to the place he loves. He added: "I'm very passionate about the area, it's an area people live and work in, and to see it being trashed, you know, it does rile you a bit. "The more important element [of reaction to his video] was: 'I thought you were a bit of a fool when I first watched the start of the video but by the time I got to the end of it I realised, actually I didn't know that and from now on I will not build the stacks'. "That's the important bit for me. Even if a handful of people have realised the error of their ways, then that made it all the more worthwhile." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
BBC News
05-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Why I kick down Peak District stone stacks'
Stone stacks are a common sight along hiking trails up and down the one walker is on a mission to highlight the damage they can do to the environment - by kicking them Cox says some people have been building the stacks - some as tall as 6ft (1.8m) - using stones taken from an old wall near Mam Tor in the Peak District in Derbyshire.A recent video he filmed of himself kicking down the stacks has been watched more than a million times on social the Peak District National Park Authority says the structures are "detrimental" to the area, and have become more prevalent in recent years. "Look at this," Stuart says, before swearing in frustration during his Facebook video on 20 May."Destroy the lot of them." He then proceeds to kick down a stone stack. The 57-year-old, who works as a chartered engineer, lives in the Derbyshire village of Castleton, a short drive from Mam passionate about the area, and regularly documents his hikes on his Peak District Viking page. But his post about the dozens of stacks, built next to the busy Great Ridge footpath - about a 15-minute hike from the summit of Mam Tor - has received the most engagement."The majority of people have been quite supportive saying: 'Yeah, I hate them. We reduce them back to their natural state if we see them. Totally agree with you'," he said."Then I had the opposite reaction which was: 'Don't tell me what to do. I'll build them if I want and I'll carry on regardless'."I even had a couple of threats by private message, but I don't worry about those." The Peak District is far from the only location where stone stacks have proven problematic. For example, campaigners said towers of stones on a Scottish beach were a worrying says the stacks in his video have been built using stones taken from a former boundary wall, which ran alongside the popular Great Ridge is concerned this has damaged the habitats of the small creatures - such as frogs, toads and insects - that lived inside the is a view shared by the National Trust."The majority of the stone stacks featured in this video are not on National Trust land," a spokesperson said."However, there have been stacks created on parts of Mam Tor, and staff and volunteers will infrequently disassemble any found."The trust says stone stacks have also been an issue on land it is responsible added rangers had carried out extensive work to protect and preserve the hillfort at Mam Tor, which is a "scheduled monument and is of great archaeological importance"."The Peak Forest Wall is also historically significant, itself dating back to 1579," a spokesperson added."Sadly, the stone stacks are not only impacting the history of the site, but they are also affecting the natural habitats of wildlife that live and feed within these ancient walls."In the longer-term, it will disrupt the delicate balance of the landscape." Stuart says there is evidence of stones being removed from paths, which he says could lead to further erosion at an already popular walking to The Countryside Code, visitors should "leave rocks, stone, plants and trees as you find them and take care not to disturb wildlife including birds that nest on the ground".Anna Badcock, cultural heritage manager at the national park authority, says the stacks damage the "special qualities" of the national park and that the problem has got worse in recent years."[Stone stacks] are created by stone removed from historic features," she said."They are very detrimental to the historic environment which we have a statutory duty to conserve."Like walkers' cairns [a marker along a trail], once one is created, it encourages more." The authority says its rangers generally do not remove the stacks "unless they are dangerous or causing an obstruction on a right of way"."We're aware that the National Trust rangers have removed some at Mam Tor for this very reason," a spokesperson said he had tried to make contact with the owner of the land on which the stacks are located, and had offered to help rebuild the while his video has attracted some debate on social media, he hopes it might make a small difference to the place he added: "I'm very passionate about the area, it's an area people live and work in, and to see it being trashed, you know, it does rile you a bit."The more important element [of reaction to his video] was: 'I thought you were a bit of a fool when I first watched the start of the video but by the time I got to the end of it I realised, actually I didn't know that and from now on I will not build the stacks'."That's the important bit for me. Even if a handful of people have realised the error of their ways, then that made it all the more worthwhile."
7NEWS
04-06-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
'Double market value': How six neighbours joined together and sold their homes for staggering $60 million
A group of neighbours in one of the country's most expensive suburbs have banded together and sold their properties for twice their market value. It is one of the latest sales in a new trend sweeping NSW as development laws aimed at alleviating the housing crisis kick in. The five blocks on Rangers Ave in Mosman, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, achieved a total price of $60 million. That sum would equate to $10 million each if divided evenly. The homes were bundled and sold as a development-ready block which effectively 'doubled' the sale price, Savills Sydney agent Stuart Cox said. He sealed the off-market deal, saying the current market value of the blocks — if kept separate — would have been '$5 million to $6 million with some of them worth $7 million to $8 million because they were on larger blocks'. It is one of many deals in which neighbours in wealthy suburbs are set to make even more as new zoning laws, particularly the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, come into play in NSW. 'One owner knocking on another owner's door' 'Typically, it starts with one owner knocking on another owner's door and saying, 'Did you read that story? Did you see that we can expect to achieve ... double market value for our properties if we capitalise on these recent rezonings?',' Cox said. 'Then they contact us ... to get an understanding of whether there would be demand for their site.' As word gets around about the money that can be made, more people are signing up for similar deals, he said. The $60 million sale this month was followed by another bundled bankroll in neighbouring Cremorne. That deal, in which six houses sold together for $40 million, was also completed by Cox. He said further sales can be expected in the exclusive Balmoral Slopes area of Mosman, along with interest from property owners on Rangers Rd, where the $60 million sale occurred. Greater density coming to rezoned areas The change in zoning comes as part of the NSW Government Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. It affects a number of centres across Sydney, the Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Lower Hunter and allows for greater density in areas within 800m walking distance of shops, services and frequent public transport services. It removes development restrictions on terraces, townhouses and low-rise residential flat buildings on R1 and R2 zoned land, while also removing the restriction on delivering medium-rise residential flat buildings on R3 and R4 zoned land in these areas. Under R3 and R4 zoning, apartments up to 22m, about six-storeys, can now be erected. Cox said high-end developers were looking to Sydney's Lower North Shore and eastern suburbs for sites to build luxury boutique blocks. 'That area is targeted heavily by the high-end Chinese developers that pride themselves on boutique high-end holdings that appeal to the local buyers in that area,' Cox said. He said many agents were now looking to sign up sellers. 'We present them the facts of the zoning and what they can expect to achieve,' Cox said. Cox said he advises on ideal sites for a boutique development blocks, and how many neighbours would be needed to collaborate on the deal to do so. 'We get all the neighbours together in one dining room one evening, and we present to them the facts of the planning and what to expect and the sales strategy to maximise these sales,' he said. 'It's an expressions of interest campaign aimed at appealing to the developers that we focus on dealing with day to day.' In Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs, neighbours are also joining up to sell development blocks. Most recently, 12 property owners in Rose Bay have joined up for a development site sale with an asking price of $165 million. The listing, by Colliers, has the potential for up to 140 homes according to listing agent Guillame Volz.
