Monument record 1754/1 - Farm Wood Quarry, Withington, Chelford

<1> Evans WB, Wilson AA, Taylor BJ and Price D, 1968, Geological Survey of Great Britain: Geology of the Country Around Macclesfield, Congleton and Middlewich, p.251 (Book). SCH5376.

The analysis of pollen and beetle fauna from peat beds within the Chelford Sand formation suggest that the climate was cold, similar to that of Finland today, and comparable to the Eemian and Brørup Interstadials. This correlation was tentatively confirmed by radiocarbon analysis of wood recovered from the same horizon. A tree stump from a timber filled channel cutting the peat has been dated at 57,000 BP. An earlier determination of greater than 53,000 years BP and a more recent one of greater than 36,000 years BP have been made from associated material. If correct these dates establish the Chelford Sand as contemporary of the deposits at Brørup. The Chelford Sand formation was formed by out wash from an ice sheet.

<2> Simpson IM & West RG, 1958, On the Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of a Late-Pleistocene Organic Deposit at Chelford, Cheshire, p.239-250 (Article in Journal). SCH3218.

The silica sand containing the organic deposits lies between two deposits of boulder clay. The junction between the overlying bounder clay and the silica sands is marked by thin bands of clay and sand, which in places, fill channels up to 1m deep. The upper four metres of the silica sand are oxidised to a red colour, below they are white. This colour change is post depositional. Bedding within the sand indicate that the water bearing the sand ran consistently south. The sand contains frequent local concentrations of coal and black shale and very occasional gravel patches and degraded shell fragments. Within the white sand are layers of organic mud. Towards the base of the observed sections these were only 20-200mm bands of sand mixed with organic mud. The thickest (400mm) were located at the top of the section. Trunks of birch and conifers were scattered throughout the mud layers. The stump of a spruce (Picea) was found upright on the uppermost bed and was radiocarbon dated to 53,000 years BP. The succession of deposits suggests the infilling by mud and sand of shallow pools within the silica sand. The lower finer sediments of this layer suggest uniform sedimentation with a stable water level. The upper coarser sediments suggest a fluctuating water level. The top most deposits represent the final infilling. The formation organic sediments seem to have ceased with deposition of the current-bedded silica sands which contain erratics and fragments of wood. The frequency of tree pollen compared to non tree pollen and plant macro/microfossils indicate the dominance of forest in the locality. This forest was dominated by trees of the pine, spruce and birch families and would have similar to that of Finland. Temperatures probably ranged from -15 to -10°c in winter to 12 to 16°c in summer.

<3> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, No.5 p.3-6 Rowley G 1977 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

Deposits which are believed to have formed during a warmer interstadial period within the Devensian glaciation have been recognised at this site. Pollen evidence indicates that this interval was characterised by a type of northern coniferous forest similar to that found in parts of Finland today. This suggests that the climate at Chelford would have been capable of supporting human occupation, although does not prove this. The deposits have been radiocarbon dated to 59,000 bc.

<4> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, No.6 p.89-90 Wagstaff P 1978 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

The Chelford pollen site has given its name to an interstadial within the Devensian Glaciation.

<5> Rebdell H, Worsley P, Green F & Parks D, 1991, Thermoluminescence dating of the Chelford Interstadial (Article in Journal). SCH5377.

Radiometric dating attempts using wood and peat from the interstadial deposits suggest their age is likely to be beyond the limits of resolution by radiocarbon. Thermoluminescence dating of feldspar and quartz minerals from the Chelford Sands has produced a sequence dates which accords with the existing litho- and biostratigraphic evidence. These suggest that the absolute age of the Chelford Interstadial is in the range 90–100,000 years. The Chelford Sands appear to be the product of at least two cold stages.

<6> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Stallibrass S 22/09/2010 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

There is still uncertainty about the dating. Early (optically stimulated and thermal) luminescence dating of sands above the interstadial organic deposits in 1990-1 suggest that the organic layers predate 75 – 90,000 years and may be somewhere in the region of 90 – 100,000 years.

<7> Evans J G, 1975, The Environment of Early Man in the British Isles, p.34-35 (Book). SCH3121.

<8> Holyoak DT, 1983, The Identity and Origins of Picea Abies (L.) Karsten from the Chelford Interstadial (Late Pleistocene) of England (Article in Journal). SCH5378.

50 Leaves from Farm Wood Quarry believed to be Pinea subspecies obovata. Also 99 cones from Farm Wood. These may be from an intermediate between Pinea subspecies obovata and abies.

<9> Whitehead PF, 1977, A note on Picea in the Chelfordian interstadial organic deposit at Chelford, Cheshire. (Article in Journal). SCH5381.