Your third editorial on the protection of cultural heritage (TMIS, 12 July), as well as Annaliza Borg’s front page piece “Ggantija Temples World Heritage Site Status Threatened”, brings to mind the situation which has developed at Ta’ Baldu, at the top of Wied ir-Rum. According to Mepa (ToM, 16 June), the Ta’ Baldu cave complex was scheduled as a Class B archaeological feature in June 2006; two 17th century farmhouses on the same site were also graded as “buildings of architectural and contextual importance”. A photograph, of a size and quality not calculated to provide much information, and possibly of the same vintage as the 2006 notice, was attached to the piece. There is a hint of a low, ochre-coloured building on the left; a Norfolk pine in the centre, marking the cave site, and stone walls, possibly of the two farmhouses, on the right.

The problem is that a photograph (attached) taken on 20 June shows some startling differences to The Times’ picture, which cannot be due merely to the improved quality of the photograph.

The red ochre building has sprouted substantial additions in reused stone on top; the Norfolk pine is still there and there are restored rubble walls lining ramps going down to the cave level. On the right, the 17th century farmhouses seem to have vanished, to be replaced by a prominent two-storey block in re-used stone, with blue doors and louvers.

Public access is problematic, with high walls and gates on the main road – Triq San Gakbu – suggesting that the cave complex is now “incorporated” in a private hacienda. In fact, one of the gates carries a recent PA notice on one side, in which X asks for “sanction of one gate and permission for two more”, and buzzer, speaker and name plate for A and BC on the other side. Reports of “wedding receptions” held close to the cave complex rounds off the story.

Of course, this situation may all be above board, and yet another brilliant instance of Mepa keeping the “Barberini” at bay in its unsleeping vigil to safeguard our “cultural heritage”. Yet it does not feel quite like that – more like “something rotten in the state of Denmark”.

The only consolation is that “the winter of our discontent” is about to be “turned into glorious summer” by the great Mepa reform bill – too late for Ta’ Baldu, regrettably.

E. A. Mallia

ATTARD