Site Event/Activity record ECH4601 - Grosvenor Estate - Field visits to Scheduled Monuments

CH25 Heronbridge This amazing site is in good condtion from an archaeological perspective. From what I could see the whole site is under permanent pasture which is ideal. It should never be ploughed. The earthworks are fantastically clear especially to the west of the road. There are no serious problems but we would ask that care is taken over vehicles breaking down the earthworks along the east side of the west field (i.e. along the line of hedge next to the road). There were no ruts when I was there and it has been wet so care may well be being taken, but you can clearly see the lines of vehicular tracks across the earthworks and their breakdown here as compared with elsewhere in the field. SM22591 Eccleston motte and associated earthworks Trees previously cut down on the motte have regenerated, plus there is at least one new sapling. All of these need to be cleared and the cut stumps treated immediately afterwards to prevent regrowth. This is because the tree roots will grow through and break up the archaeology. Otherwise the site is in reasonable condition. It would benefit from more grazing if this were feasible or from cutting once a year to prevent re-growth. There is 'low level' dumping (mainly garden waste) presumably from adjacent properties but this is not relevant to the Estate. SM13442 Bruera moated site an adjacent field system A stunning site that is currently at High Risk on our register. The reason for the risk rating is that a large proportion of the site is under arable or is improved pasture. I would note that the rigg and furrow, headlands etc extend beyond the scheduled area to the north (up to the woodland) and south (the whole of the field to the south). My advice is that these areas, together with the whole of the scheduled monument, are brought into a permanent pasture regime with no further ploughing. The medieval field boundaries in the arable field are now difficult to see, but they are still discernible and they provide the medieval context to the very well preserved moated site. Putting the whole site into pasture would enable us to re-rate the site as Low Risk. Scheduled Monument 30379 Moated Site of Lea Hall, 80m East of Lea hall Farm Some issues need dealing with here: 1) The site is suffering from neglect and clearance of trees and shrubs around the moat is urgently needed (cutting down and treating the stumps, no grubbing up). The age of the trees suggest two main phases of growth with some a few decades old and lots more much more recent regeneration. I think it would be acceptable if all the more recent stuff, plus everything either leaning on an angle or on the side of the banks were removed (so the banks are not broken down when they fall). The upright older trees could stay. I could arrange to spray mark or show, via photos, trees for removal if this useful. 2) Once this is done, some kind of on-going management regime is needed for the moat, which is fenced off. It needs annual cutting or similar to prevent tree and woody shrub regeneration. There is quite a lot of junk along the south boundary of the site that should go. 3) The poaching around the gateway is not the worst, but will be problematic on a long term basis. 4) On the 'island' (i.e. the area enclosed by the moat) two trees have been planted within square fenced enclosures, one in the north-west corner and one in the north-east corner. Planting these trees should not have been done without SMC and SMC would not have been given for them because the roots break up the below ground archaeology. I wonder if it was a bit of landscaping as part of the barn conversion scheme. Anyway, the one in the north east corner is dead I think. The one in the north west corner must be removed (cut and the stump treated, not grubbed up). The fencing relating to these trees should be removed (cut off or pull out, not dug up). The area where the nettles grow well probably marks the location of the timber mansion of Lea Hall once stood. The nettles are shallow rooted and not a problem to us. SM22486 Aldford Motte and Bailey and Shell Keep Castle. A magnificent site, the best surviving example of a Noman castle in Cheshire. Here too, work is needed as follows: 1) There has clearly been a fairly recent programme of tree planting with three young staked trees in the Bailey (the area south of the motte or mound - between it and the church). There are other trees probably planted at the same time in the field to the east outside the scheduled area. The three new trees planted in the bailey are illegal works as SMC was not granted for them. They are particularly damaging because there will never have been trees here previously and because Castle Baileys usually have very significant below-ground archaeological remains in them. These trees must be removed without delay (cut and stumps treated, stakes cut or pulled out, nothing grubbed up). I don't know who planted the trees and it may be a community project. If more trees are wanted, a much more sensitive approach would be to plant new oaks, preferably just outside the east bank boundary of the bailey. This would provide replacements for the old oaks that are along the east bank. For more on this boundary, please see 5. 2) There are a few mature trees on top of the motte, which was planted as an ornamental feature in the past. These have pretty much done all they are going to do and we would not suggest removal. However there is a spinney forming on the lower south west side of the motte (facing Woodhouse farm as was). This need removing (cut, treated, not grubbed up). 3) A rare aspect of the motte is that it was refortified in stone around the mid 12th century to form a shell keep. Foundation stones of the shell keep are exposed just below the crest of the motte on the south and east sides. Rabbit (and possibly other) burrowing is problematic on both these sides and, if left, will seriously undermine the motte and destroy the archaeology. There is a lot of burrowing in what is probably an area of old orchard to the west of the motte but this is outside the scheduled area. Nonetheless wider control is probably needed. The hawthorn and brambles growing on these sides of the motte provide a nice habitat for the rabbits and should be removed (cut, treated, not grubbed up). 4) The field boundary north of the motte has a good wide margin that is beneficial to the monument. 5) I'm not sure exactly what the regime is in the field east of the motte (or in the bailey) but the outer bank on the east side of the site is beginning to be cut into (there is a ledge of perhaps up to 20cm). This is not that much but over time the bank will be cut away. Wide margins along here would be good. Also replacement oaks mentioned above might be planted along this margin - so they would be outside the SM, off the bank, but would provide replacements to the mature oaks that remain.