Monument record 15495 - Pestfurlong, Pesfurlong or Peasfurlong Moss

<1> Leah, MD; Wells, CE; Appleby, C; Huckerby, E, 1997, The Wetlands of Cheshire (North West Wetlands Survey 4), p.36-42 (Monograph). SCH3260.

Pestfurlong or Peasfurlong Moss was investigated by the North West Wetlands project, an archaeological and paleoecological study of the varied wetlands of Cheshire, undertaken between 1993-95. It forms part of the northern moss complex (Holcroft, Risley, Rixton, Woolston) comprising wetlands which lie within or close to the middle reaches of the Mersey Valley (Central Mersey Catchment), an area which contains the most extensive areas of peat in the modern county of Cheshire. Moreover, it is the only Cheshire wetland group situated in a predominantly arable area. These mosses have similarities to other Mersey Valley mosses, such as Chat Moss and Carrington Moss in Greater Manchester. Pestfurlong Moss lies at the western extent of Holcroft Moss and to the north of Risley Moss.

The mires initially developed in hollows in the glacio-fluvial gravels which lie along the Mersey Valley High Terrace, a feature which formed towards the end of the last glaciation when drainage into the Mersey estuary was blocked by ice and water was diverted into the Dee estuary via the Deva Spillway. From these initial hollows the peat spread out onto adjacent areas of till. As such, they represent the western continuation of the extensive series of ridge-raised mires occupying similar shallow depressions in the Mersey floodplain terrace, in total covering an area of circa 3500 hectares.

Much of the Holcroft, Risley, Rixton, Woolston complex of mosses fell within the historical parish of Winwick, which included twelve townships, one of which, Culcheth, encompassed much of the area’s mosslands. This township was divided into four parts, a division which occurred in the thirteenth century on the death of Gilbert de Culcheth in 1246. In keeping with feudal tradition, his four daughters became wards of his lord, the baron of Warrington, who married them to the four sons of Hugh de Hindley, leading to a four-way split of the Manor of Culcheth, and the township of the same name, into Culcheth, Holcroft, Peasfurlong or Pestfurlong and Risley. The precise boundaries of the individual manors and their lands remained rather uncertain, potentially because they lay in the centre of the mosslands, however, the manors long retained their integrity, with sites of the manorial centres still identifiable. The Manor of Peasfurlong lay at the extant moated site of Old Abbey Farm (CHER 604/1/0); Holcroft Hall (CHER 609/1), a late fifteenth/sixteenth century building, still survives; Risley Manor was the site of Risley Old Hall (CHER 603/1) which existed until the nineteenth century; also Culcheth Hall (CHER 610/1), now demolished. There are records of a further manor at Glazebrook, but little is known of this and its site remains unknown.

The earliest detailed map of the mossland area is a 1757 plan of the Pestfurlong Estate, then owned by the Standish family and centred on the moated site ‘Old Abbey Farm’. The land around the moat is shown divided into small fields and enclosures; this appears to illustrate the gradual process of piecemeal enclosure and reclamation of the mossland occurring throughout the medieval and post medieval periods. This theory is supported by the notation attached to the fields, several of which are described as ‘Intak from following moss’ or ‘marled croft taken from the following moss’. In addition, the boundary between Pestfurlong Estate and the neighbouring Holcroft Estate is clearly defined where it passes through the enclosed land. This is not the case on the unenclosed mossland where, although both Holcroft and Pestfurlong Mosses are named, no formal boundary is depicted.

Yate’s map of Lancashire, dated 1786, only depicts two mosses in the Culcheth area, these being Risley (covering the Risley, Rixton and Woolston moss complex) and Glazebrook (covering Glazebrook, Holcroft, Pestfurlong and Hoyles moss complex). Greenwood’s map of 1818 depicts a very similar picture, but with the addition of township boundaries.

A document dated to 1749 records an agreement between Richard Stanley of Culcheth, Sir Thomas Standish of Pestfurlong, John Blackburne of Risley and James Tyldesley of Holcroft, to divide the commons and wastes of Culcheth township (Brownbill, 1911). This agreement was confirmed the following year by Private Act of Parliament and marks the beginnings of the move to enclosure and formalisation of boundaries. However, the process of enclosure of the mosslands appears not to have been straight forward as illustrated by controversy surrounding the Tithe commutation survey for Culcheth township which occurred during the 1830s and was completed in 1838. A series of disputes are recorded over the location of the boundary between Holcroft Moss and Pestfurlong Moss. The production of the Tithe Map formalised, for the first time, the boundaries between the various manors of Culcheth.

The construction of the M62 motorway in 1978 bisected both Pestfurlong and Holcroft mosses.

The North West Wetland Survey centres 'Pestfurlong Moss' at SJ 67038 93058, just to the west of 'Pestfurlong Hill' and south of the M62 motorway.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

The OS First Edition map labels 'Pesfurlong Moss' at SJ 66978 93402, just to the south of 'Pesfurlong Moss Farm' and 'Moss Side Farm'; also to the east of 'Old Abbey Farm' moated site (CHER 604/1/0).