<P> In England, antiquarian interests were a familiar gentleman's pursuit since the mid 17th century, developing in tandem with the rise in scientific curiosity . Fellows of the Royal Society were often also Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries . </P> <P> Many historic sites were damaged as the railways began to spread across the UK; including Trinity Hospital and its church in Edinburgh, Furness Abbey, Berwick and Northampton Castle, and the ancient walls of York, Chester and Newcastle . In 1833 Berkhamsted Castle became the first historic site in England to be officially protected by statute under the London and Birmingham Railway Acts of 1833 - 37, though the new railway line in 1834 did demolish the castle's gatehouse and outer earthworks to the south . </P> <P> Another early preservation event also occurred at Berkhamsted . In 1866, Lord Brownlow who lived at Ashridge, tried to enclose the adjoining Berkhamsted Common with 5 - foot (2 m) steel fences in an attempt to claim it as part of his estate . In England from early Anglo - Saxon times, Common land was an area of land which the local community could use as a resource . Across England between 1660 and 1845, 7 million acres of Common land had been enclosed by private land owners by application to parliament . On the night 6 March, Augustus Smith MP led gangs of local folk and hired men from London's East End in direct action to break the enclosure fences and protect Berkhamsted Common for the people of Berkhamsted in what became known nationally as the Battle of Berkhamsted Common . In 1870, Sir Robert Hunter (later co-founder of the National Trust in 1895) and the Commons Preservation Society succeed in legal action that ensured protection of Berkhamsted Common and other open spaces threatened with enclosure . In 1926 the common was acquired by the National Trust . </P> <P> By the mid 19th century, much of Britain's unprotected cultural heritage was being slowly destroyed . Even well - meaning archaeologists like William Greenwell excavated sites with virtually no attempt at their preservation, Stonehenge came under increasing threat by the 1870s . Tourists were chipping off parts of the stones or carving their initials into the rock . The private owners of the monument decided to sell the land to the London and South - Western Railway as the monument was "not the slightest use to anyone now". John Lubbock, an MP and botanist emerged as the champion of the country's national heritage . In 1872 he personally bought private land that housed ancient monuments in Avebury, Silbury Hill and elsewhere, from the owners who were threatening to have them cleared away to make room for housing . Soon, he began campaigning in Parliament for legislation to protect monuments from destruction . This finally led to the legislative milestone under the Liberal government of William Gladstone of the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 . The first government appointed inspector for this job was the archaeologist Augustus Pitt - Rivers . This legislation was regarded by conservative political elements as a grave assault on the individual rights of property of the owner, and consequently, the inspector only had the power to identify endangered landmarks and offer to purchase them from the owner with his consent . The Act only covered ancient monuments and explicitly did not cover historic buildings or structures . In 1877 the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by the Arts and Crafts designer William Morris to prevent the destruction of historic buildings, followed by the National Trust in 1895 that bought estates from their owners for preservation . </P>

Suggest three ways to protect our historical monuments and buildings