Page:The Preservation of Places of Interest or Beauty, 1907.djvu/35

 THE ANCIENT MONUMENT PROTECTION ACTS.

ANCIENT MONUMENTS PROTECTION ACT, 1882.

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1. This Act may be cited for all purposes as the Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882.

2. The owner of any ancient monument to which this Act applies may, by deed under his hand, constitute the Commissioners of Works in this Act mentioned the guardians of such monument.

Where the Commissioners of Works have been constituted guardians of a monument, they shall thenceforth, until they shall receive notice in writing to the contrary from any succeeding owner not bound by such deed as aforesaid, maintain such monument, and shall, for the purpose of such maintenance, at all reasonable times by themselves and their workmen have access to such monument for the purpose of inspecting it, and of bringing such materials and doing such acts and things as may be required for the maintenance thereof.

The owner of an ancient monument of which the Commissioners of Works are guardians shall, save as in this Act expressly provided, have the same estate, right, title, and interest, in and to such monument, in all respects, as if the Commissioners had not been constituted guardians thereof.

The expressions "maintain" and "maintenance" include the fencing, repairing, cleansing, covering in, or doing any other act or thing which may be required for the purpose of repairing any monument or protecting the same from decay or injury. The cost of maintenance shall, subject to the approval of Her Majesty's Treasury, be defrayed from moneys to be provided by Parliament.

3. The Commissioners of Works, with the consent of the Treasury, may purchase out of any moneys which may for that purpose be from time to time provided by Parliament any ancient monument to which this Act applies, and with a view to such purchase the Lands Clauses Consolidation Acts shall be incorporated with this Act, with the exception of the provisions which relate to the purchase and taking of lands otherwise than by agreement. In construing the said Lands Clauses Consolidation Acts for the purposes of this Act, this Act shall be deemed to be the special Act, and the Commissioners of Works shall be deemed to be the promoters of the undertaking.

4. Any person may by deed or will give, devise, or bequeath to the