Monument record 1937/1 - Christleton Mill, Medieval Mill and Remains of Mill Mound

<1> Chester Courant, 1878-1990, The Cheshire Sheaf, 4/90, 1902 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH3105.

A mill at Christleton is mentioned in a list of Cheshire Domesday mills. The mill's annual value was 12s.

<2> Chester Courant, 1878-1990, The Cheshire Sheaf, 11/17+23, 1914 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH3105.

A windmill existed at Christleton in 1587. The mound known as Mill Hill, is close to Christleton Hall.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW24 (Index). SCH2487.

- 'Mill Mound' labelled on OS 25 inch map, 1961.
- Tithe Map Christleton Township, 1844, centred SJ 4377 6583, Plot 9 called 'Mill Hill'
- Field visit, 09/07/64: The mound has an average height of 0.9m.
- Field visit, 24/02/76: Mound had been almost destroyed by the construction of a car park. Part of the east side, 20m long by 6m wide and 0.5m high, survives under grass.
- Field visit, 24/02/86: Surviving segment now only 17m long and the surface of the mound had been further mutilated by tree planting. Topographical situation is good for a mill site, being situated on the highest ground in the immediate surrounding landscape.

<4> Northern Archaeological Associates, 2017, The University of Law, Chester: Redevelopment of Christleton Campus, Christleton, Cheshire: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (Client Report). SCH8342.

An archaeological desk-based assessment, supplemented with a walk-over survey, were undertaken in 2017 for land at Christleton Hall, University of Law, Chester Campus, Christleton, in advance of re-development for residential use, including demolition of late twentieth century buildings, conversion of Christleton Hall and erection of new residential dwellings. The partial remains of the mill mound lie at the eastern extent of the development area. Although the western extent of the mill mound has been levelled by the construction of a car park, the remains of the eastern side may survive as a slight earthwork now overlain by a small plantation of Scots Pine; these are to be retained as part of the current re-development, consequently there should be no effect on the actual mound remains.

In Domesday, 1086, 'Cristletone' was recorded as being a sizable and well established manor comprising 23 households and a mill under the lordship of Robert Fitz Hugh. A windmill is also recorded at Christleton in rent books of 1567. The Tithe map of 1847 indicates the site of a former windmill through the depiction of a circular area at the eastern extent of plot 9, named 'Mill Hill', owned by Townsend Ince; this position correlates with the existing slight remains of the mound.

<5> Northern Archaeological Associates, 2021, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Christleton Hall, Christleton, Cheshire, R4838 (Client Report). SCH9776.

Further desk-based assessment produced in support of the proposed residential development north of Christleton Hall. Updates that of 2017 (source 4).

<6> Ecus Ltd, 2024, Christleton Hall, Christleton, Cheshire: Site Inspection and Archaeological Recording, R4746 (Client Report). SCH9580.

Following development work at Christleton Hall, a site visit in January 2024 inspected the remains of the mill mound located directly east of the former car park. It was found in a state of preservation similar to that recorded in 2017 (source 4), although some surface damage had been sustained in the interim. The mound was planned, a west-facing profile was drawn and it was found to survive to a possible height of c. 0.5m. Reduction of the ground level by up to 0.5m within the development area had exposed rubble, including hand-made brick, which may have formed part of the original mound construction.

A later site visit in April 2024 found more material had been removed from the already exposed western edge to create a more vertical cut through the mound. Minor hand excavation of the post-medieval mill mound was carried out to expose a section against the limit of the development. This revealed it to have been heavily disturbed by trees and rooting, with the original extent likely truncated by the modern carpark and recent construction activity. The cleaning back and recording of the exposed section through the windmill mound found recognisable archaeological deposits survive within its make-up, despite the modern disturbance and damage. The mound contained a core of clay deposited onto a foundation layer of stone slabs laid over made ground. These features may represent the construction fabric of the mill mound.