Monument record 15499 - Wybunbury Mere and Cob Moss

<1> Leah, MD; Wells, CE; Appleby, C; Huckerby, E, 1997, The Wetlands of Cheshire (North West Wetlands Survey 4), p.129 (Monograph). SCH3260.

Wybunbury Mere 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 a series of wetlands lying between Crewe and the Shropshire border, with a further outlying group to the north-east, between Crewe and Alsager. Within this area a variety of wetland types is represented from numerous small basin mires, often less than 1 hectare in extent, to the valley mire deposits found alongside some of the minor rivers and streams. Larger mosses (circa 10-20 hectares) such as White Moss, Oakhanger Moss and Wybunbury Moss, also occur. The underlying geology is masked by drift deposits made up of both till and fluvio-glacial sands and gravels. In places these deposits have resulted in the flat landscape characteristic of the Cheshire Plain, but in some areas, particularly to the south of Crewe, a much more varied and irregular topography occurs. Many wetlands developed in kettle holes left in the surface of these glacial deposits, although the role of subsidence of salt solution hollows also played a part in some cases, such as Wybunbury. In addition, it has been suggested that both White Moss and Oakhanger Moss may owe their origin to the former presence of pingos.

Wybunbury Mere and the adjoining Cob Moss are situated in low-lying ground to the east of the village of Wybunbury and to the south of Wybunbury Moss (CHER 15491). In the mid nineteenth century the Tithe Award of 1845 records that the site was used to grow osiers or willow, which was often coppiced, being a major source of the long flexible shoots (withies) used in basketwork.

<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 shows that Cob Moss formerly extended further to the north-east than currently.