Monument record 15500 - Monneley Mere

<1> Leah, MD; Wells, CE; Appleby, C; Huckerby, E, 1997, The Wetlands of Cheshire (North West Wetlands Survey 4), p.126 (Monograph). SCH3260.

Monneley 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.

Rather than being a lake as the name suggests, Monneley Mere is an extensive area of peat located on the borders of the Englesea Brook. An earthwork feature lies on the western fringes of the peat land (CHER 203), this was surveyed as part of the North West Wetlands study and, although its exact function is unknown, may represent a moat or another former structure to do with activity on the wetland. A suggested interpretation of a war time structure is less likely given that the feature appears to be depicted on a map of Weston Township of 1762 and is named the 'island' (see source 2).

<2> Probert, 1762, Map of several Estates in the Townships of Church Coppenhall and Monks Coppenhall in the County of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH8731.

Map of Weston Township