Monument record 1293 - Hasulhurst or Hazelhurst

Hasulhurst or Hazelhurst. A secondary settlement of Tatton probably consisting of a small number of farmsteads rather than a nucleated village. First mentioned in 1230 (1). Situated between Tatton and Knutsford (2).

A group of eight fields containing the name element 'coppy' dominates the area between the then line of Portstrete and the mere and brook, relieved only by a 'gorse' field name and the 'Six Acre', adjacent to the scatter of farms occupying the same general area as medieval Hazelhurst - by then a lost woodland place name. The area was probably oak woodland pasture in the medieval period, both inside and outside the park. In the south-east quarter of the township, the tenurial history of Hazelhurst implies that this was a tenanted block of land by the mid-thirteenth century, presumably with at least one messuage and possibly more. Hazelhurst is not archaeologically accessible as it is now planted with conifers. (5) In 1733 there were tenements along the road from Tatton to Over Knutsford, in what had probably been medieval Hazelhurst. (6)

This site was visited by C Crowe in 1998. He concluded that little could be found to support the idea that this was the remains of a settlement. The rectangular enclosures visible on aerial photographs have been formed by the action of running water over sand creating deep gullies running down to the brook. There were the remains of ridge and furrow in all the enclosures and to the north there were shallow pits which were possibly dug out for sand. There was no pottery scattered on the surface nor any other traces of habitation. He concluded that not only was this site not of national importance but it was not a medieval settlement (7).

Hussey, John, 1974, Redrawing of 1733 Hussey Tatton Estate Map (Maps and Plans). SCH4969.

<1> Dodgson J McN, 1970-2, 1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire, vol .II p.64 (Book). SCH3228.

<2> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 4/7 Williams S R 1976 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<3> Various, Aerial photographs, /1/21-22&3504/8 Higham N J 1984 (Aerial Photograph). SCH128.

<4> Dodgson J McN, 1970-2, 1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire, vol.II p.64 (Book). SCH3228.

<5> Higham N.J, 1999, The Tatton Park Project, Part 2: The Medieval Estates, Settlements and Halls.JCAS, p.72 & p.79 (Article in Journal). SCH4937.

<6> Higham N.J., Aylett P,. Smith J.H., 2001, The Tatton Park Project, Part 3: The Post-Medieval Estate and Halls; Grandeur to Decline, p.88 (Article in Journal). SCH4938.

<7> Cheshire Historic Environment Record, 1990-1992, MPP Scoring Form, Crowe C, 1999. (Unpublished Document). SCH2222.