Monument record 198/1 - Lea Forge

<1> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 109/81 Awty B 1957 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ74NW7/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

Small quantities of iron stone and iron slag found in 600m stretch of stream centred on SJ 7045 4869. Mr Ellis found large lumps of iron slag c. 3ft down when draining around the middle of the field centred SJ 7042 4883. Most likely site of building at SJ 7065 4850.

<3> Dodgson J McN, 1970-2, 1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire, vol .III p.68 (Book). SCH3228.

Forge reported as demolished in c.1820. One of the fields called Hamer Meadow, probably from 'a hammer' alluding to the forge.

<4> Gwynedd Archaeological Trust Ltd, 1991, Hough Mill Quarry: First Stage Archaeological Assessment at Lea Forge Farm, Wybunbury, Cheshire., R2010 (Client Report). SCH4197.

An archaeological assessment undertaken in 1991 at Lea Forge Farm, Wybunbury in advance of a planning applciation to extend sand and gravel extraction at Hough Mill Quarry. The assessment comprised an appraisal of existing data, field and geophysical survey and selective trial trenching. The application area contains the presumed site of Lea Forge, a post-medieval ironworks on Checkley Brook known from documentary sources to have been in operation from c.1650 to 1820. The location of the three trial trenches was informed by the results of the ground and geophysical surveys where the combination of possible earthworks and negative magnetic anomalies held the best potential for buried remains. The trenches did recover finds of brick and roof tile fragments, lumps of slag and pottery sherds of the 18th-19th centuries concentrated along the bottom of the topsoil, however, no structural remains were identified.

<5> Gwynedd Archaeological Trust Ltd, 1991, Hough Mill Quarry. Second Stage Archaeological Assessment at Lea Forge Farm, Wynbury, Cheshire., R2119 (Client Report). SCH4091.

Second stage archaeological assessment at Lea Forge Farm, Wynbunbury, undertaken in June 1991, in support of a proposal to extend sand extraction at Hough Hill Quarry. This assessment comprised a more detailed appraisal of documentary sources, further field survey in an area to the north-east of that already investigated in the stage 1 assessment, and further trial-trenching (8 trenches) of selected surface features to the south-west of the Old Mill Race and in the field between Lea Forge Farm and the Old Mill Race.
The documentary evidence strongly indicated that the forge stood next to the Old Mill Race under the east side of the modern car park. The earliest map evidence shows ancilliary buildings, associated with the forge, grouped in a compound to the north-west on each side of the Old Mill Race. A trench on the north-east of the Old Mill Race contained evidence of one of the ancilliary buildings with surrounding charcoal deposits, possibly representing a shed where wood was burnt to supply the forge with charcoal. Results also confirmed the early 19th century demolition of the forge and revealed evidence for processes associated with post medieval iron-working.