Monument record 4680 - Water Meadow in Riverside Park

Visible on a number of vertical aerial photographs (3, 4, 5, 6 & 7).

<1> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Brereton R 10/03/2010 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

Linear earthworks which are reputedly part of a water meadow or WWII anti-glider ditches.

<2> Cheshire Historic Environment Record, Various, Historic Environment Record Site Visit Record, Edwards R 10/03/2010 (Unpublished Document). SCH5294.

A series of eight evenly spaced linear earthworks aligned ENE to WSW. Each bank is approximately 0.8m high and 3-4m wide and flanked by two shallow furrow like depressions. A channel, c.0.2m wide, is clearly visible running along the top of the bank. The banks connect to a NNW to SSE trending sinuous earthwork at their ENE end. This feature, up to c.1m high, may follow the contour and has short 90 degree spurs on its eastern side. Probable water meadow, however it is not readily apparent if the water source is the Bollin or the stream to the immediate north. A few stone slabs in this stream may be the remains of a sluice or weir. The short spurs on the sinuous earthwork may be associated with some form of sluice mechanism. The site is bisected by a modern pipeline.

These features are strongly suggestive of a bedwork floated meadow. Water diverted from a river or stream by a dam or weir is channelled via a head main, the sinuous earthwork, which had outlets to a network of ridges with channels along their spine, the eight banks, known as carriers.

<3> Royal Air Force, 1944-1947, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review (Aerial Photograph). SCH8041.

<3> The GeoInformation Group, 2005, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review (Aerial Photograph). SCH4608.

<4> Huntings Surveys Ltd, 1971-1973, 1971-1973 County Survey (Aerial Photograph). SCH4881.

<5> Airviews Ltd, 1983-5, 1983-1985 Airviews Survey (Aerial Photograph). SCH5296.

<6> National Remote Sensing Centre Ltd, 1992-3, National Remote Sensing Centre County Survey (1992-1993) (Aerial Photograph). SCH5297.

<7> The GeoInformation Group, 1999-2001, Millennium Survey (Aerial Photograph). SCH4609.

<8> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, Composite DSM Last Return 1m 2022 (Digital Archive). SCH7819.