Monument record 1007/1 - Mesolithic-Neolithic activity, Helsby Hillfort

<1a> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), 25689 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

Helsby Hillfort is situated at the north end of the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge immediately to the east of Helsby village. It is a bivallate hillfort bounded to the south and east by two parallel ramparts and an unusual type of inturned entrance approximately 10m wide. The main enclosure is approximately 1.9ha. (See also sources 1b and 1c)

<1b> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 25689 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<1c> English Heritage, Various, Scheduled Monument Consent Letter (Written Communication). SCH2963.

<2> Cheshire West and Chester Historic Environment Service, 2011, Report on an archaeological evaluation at Helsby Hillfort, R3555 (Report). SCH7283.

In 2009 a new project to study the hillforts of Cheshire included a new excavation of Helsby over the locations of the 1955 and 1964 trenches. The excavations proved significant, revealing evidence of activity in the area prior to the construction of the hillfort. Trench 2 revealed a buried soil (222) containing fossilised pollen dating to the late Mesolithic to early Neolithic. This was followed by a burning episode (214) dating to the early Neolithic suggestive of occupation or woodland clearance in the area.

<3> Garner, Dan and others, 2016, Hillforts of the Cheshire Ridge, p.136 (Book). SCH8403.

Previously, little was known about the landscape of Helsby prior to the construction of the hillfort beyond stray finds of a neolithic polished stone axe and a leaf shaped arrowhead. Evidence recovered from trench 2 has identified an ancient buried soil containg fossilised pollen which has enabled recreation of the vegetation that prevailed in the late mesolithic/early Neolithic period. This suggests a landscape dominated by oak, lime and hazel forest; the lack of open ground indicators suggesting complete forest cover. There is also later evidence for a series of burning episodes in the area of Trench 2 which were sealed by a sterile sand layer that has been radiocarbon dated to the early Neolithic ( 3950-3780 cal BC) these burning episodes are either localised evidence for occupation or an indicator or woodland clearance on the hilltop