Monument record 7855 - Mill ponds and associated water channels to the west and south of Sutton Hall Farm

<1> Gifford and Partners, 1994, Archaeological Appraisal of Land at Sutton Hall Farm, Sutton Weaver, Runcorn, Cheshire (Client Report). SCH4137.

An archaeological desk-based assessment undertaken in 1994, in advance of the development of a golf course at Sutton Hall Farm, recorded a mill pond, still extant, immediately to the west of the farm. It is supplied by a local spring and has associated water channels. On its south-west side, the pond is very straight and regular in form, which is thought to relate to the damning of the spring. Leading from the western side of the pond, a marked linear depression was recorded orientated north-east/south-west. This is thought to have been an outlet for the pond. Also, to the south of the pond, again orientated north-east/south-west and running along the boundary of two fields, is a stone culvert which appears to lead from the pond. This culvert was underground until the 1960's when it was opened to provide a drinking trough for farm animals. The line of the culvert is continued by a linear depression which connects to a channel running south through Lowe's Wood. Additionally, orientated east-west across the bottom of the valley through Lowe's Wood, a bank was recorded 20m across and 1.5m high. It is thought that this represents the southern limit of another mill pond, one is illustrated at this location on historic mapping dating to 1754.

Given the existence of mill ponds it seems likely that one or two corresponding water mills existed on the Sutton Hall estate before the mid-eighteenth century. It is thought that the pond to the west of Sutton Hall Farm is the later of the two ponds as its creation required the blocking of the water-course leading from the spring down to the lower pond by the dam situated on its south-west side. Any traces of a mill associated with the earlier pond were probably destroyed by the construction of the Weaver Navigation. See also record 956/2.

<2> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, 1986/2/30-31 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.