Monument record 1440/3 - Windmill Wood

Windmill Wood - possible prehistoric mine workings. On the west side of the Edge near the Hagg there is an old mine which has been reworked in the 18th and 19th centuries for lead and copper. From the rubbish heap Mr F S Graves found 2 complete and 4 fragmentary stone hammers. Evidence of smelting operations conducted close by in crude, open hearths (1).According to (6), this is an old quarry like opencast mine working. Roeder and Graves reported to have found stone hammers in the general vicinity plus a fragment of crucible with slag attatched. The whereabouts of the object and its archive drawing is unknown. It seems likey that there were bronze age workings in this area, exposed or removed by later working. The site was infilled during the 1950's and 60's, today being marked with a patch of nettles and a lot of ash, coal and brick in the soil.

<2> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 23/17-29 Roeder C & Graves F S 1905 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/90 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ87NE2.1/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.393 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<6> 1998, Alderley Edge Landscape Project Archive, 136 (Unpublished Report). SCH4334.

<7> Timberlake, S. and Prag, A.J.N.W., 2005, The Archaeology of Alderley Edge (Book). SCH4769.