Monument record 15540/1 - Ridge and Furrow Near Hondslough Farm

<1> Historic England & Archaeological Research Services, 2017, Cheshire National Mapping Programme and Lidar Mapping Project: Sampling the Peak Fringe, Cheshire Plain and Mersey Valley, 1626014 (Digital Archive). SCH8172.

Medieval and/or post-medieval ridge and furrow is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on historic vertical air photographs and lidar imagery in the west of the parish of Norley. Elements appear to be extant on the latest 2016 vertical photography (see 2-4).

<2> Royal Air Force, 1945-1979, RAF Aerial Photographs, RAF/540/443 V 5048, 05/12/1950 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8316.

<3> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, First Return 21/12/2016 (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

<4> Next Perspectives, 2016, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery (2016), 19/07/2016 (Aerial Photograph). SCH9150.

<5> Bluesky International Ltd, 2015-2017, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Bluesky International APGB Imagery 2015-2017, SJ5372 & SJ5472, 19/07/2016 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8848.

<6> Inforterra, 2010, Cheshire Sandstone Ridge LiDAR Survey
Sandstone Ridge, SJ5472 & SJ5372 (Digital Archive). SCH7194.

<7> Grantham RB, 1864, A Description of the Works for Reclaiming and Marling parts of the late Forest of Delamere, in the County of Cheshire, p.370-2 (Article in Journal). SCH9031.

<8> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R, 11/05/2022 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

A larger and a smaller block of very narrow ridge and furrow is visible in fields to the north of the farm on aerial imagery dating from 2016 (see 5). LIDAR survey data (see 6) confirms these are cropmarks. Probably formed by nineteenth century steam ploughing associated with the agricultural improvement works of the 1850s (see 7).