Monument record 7410 - Possible Seventeenth Century Quarrying Maiden Castle Hillfort

The interior of the enclosure of Maiden Castle Hillfort has been heavily disturbed by quarrying, represented by substantial amorphous mounds and depressions. A larger quarry is situated within the eastern edge of the inner rampart, to the south of the entrance way, and is up to 2.3m deep, measuring about 15m by 25m. It has been suggested that the quarrying may have been associated with the operation of the Bickerton Hill cooper mines, which began in the late seventeenth century (2). A number of these mounds appear to be partially cut across by a mid-nineteenth century boundary bank, suggesting the quarry pre-dates the enclosure of this area (1).

Further sandstone quarrying has been carried out along the cliff face to the immediate west of Maiden Castle, with the most prominent quarry forming a broadly rectangular cutting into the natural rock face 23 m long and 3.3m wide, to a depth of up to 3.5m. Although it is unclear when this particular site was worked, there are well-defined tool marks visible across the quarry face, suggestive of the use of wide-bladed mason’s axes (1).

Please note that the SAM designation refers to the hillfort, and not to this quarrying activity.

<1> Archaeological Services WYAS, 2012, Maiden Castle, Bickerton, Cheshire, Archaeological Survey and Investigation. (Client Report). SCH7322.

<2> Miln J, 1996, Maiden Castle - Report on Battle Area Clearance Operation (Unpublished Document). SCH3791.