Monument record 15503 - Baddiley Mere

<1> Leah, MD; Wells, CE; Appleby, C; Huckerby, E, 1997, The Wetlands of Cheshire (North West Wetlands Survey 4), p.135 (Monograph). SCH3260.

Baddiley 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 group of wetlands in the south-west of Cheshire, between Cholmondeley and the Shropshire border. The wetland type most common in this region is the mere, many of which are ringed by extensive areas of peat or other waterlogged deposits, however, small basin mires also occur. Pasture is the most common land-use in this region. These wetlands lie within, or on the fringes of, the belt of glacial deposits known as the Whitchurch moraine, which extends roughly along the county border and marks the southern boundary of the Cheshire plain. This landscape is characterised by the presence of numerous sandy ridges, hummocks and outwash plains and is thought to mark the boundary of the ice sheet during a temporary period of stagnation at the close of the last glaciation.

In 1911, a dug-out canoe, of probable Iron Age date, was found whilst cleaning out the mere to improve the water supply to Nantwich (CHER 363). This illustrates the potential of these glacial lakes and wetlands to preserve archaeological objects and sites.

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

On the OS First Edition map Baddiley Mere is centred at SJ 359737 350370 and is much smaller in extent than its current state. An area of wetland lies to the south-west of the mere and includes, at its south-west extent, a circular area of wetland labelled 'Hell Hole'.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1909-1912, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH4361.

On the OS third edition map, the depiction of the mere and its wetland is much the same as previously, however, the area of wetland between the mere and 'Hell Hole' is labelled as 'Willow Beds'