Monument record 1522 - The Bullstones, Bronze Age cremation burial

Site of Bronze Age cremation burial, found in a field at Clulow Cross. Investigated by Sainter & others pre 1878. The burial was of a child or young person. The urn (classified by Varley as proto-cordon type (1)), was inverted & among the burnt bones was found a calcined flint knife & a flint arrowhead. The burial was found c.3ft below ground surface & was surrounded by a stone circle 20ft in diam, within which, off centre was a stone slab embedded on edge. The circle of stones was entered by a short avenue of stones. The stone circle may have been a retaining wall for a covering mound (2). Stone slab is 1.3m long x 1.1m high x 0.6m thick. It is surrounded by the remains of an irregular circle of small, round stones. It is not a retaining circle. Some indications that there was formerly a round barrow or cairn (3). VCH calls this the Bullstones kerb circle, diam 8.5m. Excavated 1870-1. Site under grass & overgrown. VCH records that the finds are in the Grosvenor Museum, accession no.232.P.55 (4). A Collared urn alleged to be from the Bullstones site is now with J Condliffe at the Congleton Chronicle offices, but has been drawn by David Wilson (4) & (5). The cremated bone from the site is now with David Wilson. In 1984, David Wilson began an excavation to clarify the earlier investigation. But he did not get beyond planning the site and clearing the topsoil before the landowner withdrew permission. Finds of 2 flints (5). Rowley calls the site Bullstrang (6) Low flat earth and stone mound upto 0.25m high with max. dimensions of 11.5m by 10m.Gritstone slab stands at centre of mound 1.3m long by 1.1m high.Barrow kerbed on all sides but E by irregularly spaced small water-worn boulders. Antiquarian excavation revealed cremated rems of child 0.9m below ground & under an inverted urn,also calcined flint knife & flint arrowhead (7).

<1> Varley, W. J. & Jackson, J. W., 1940, Prehistoric Cheshire, /Sched IV (Book). SCH2692.

<2> Sainter J D, 1878, Scientific Rambles Round Macclesfield, /35-6 1878 (Book). SCH2964.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ96NE1/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<4> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/85 (a) & (b) 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<5> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Wilson D 1986 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

<6> Rowley G 1982, 1982, Macclesfield in Prehistory, Rowley G 1982 /22+31 (Book). SCH2062.

<7> Chronicle Group, 1893-2009, Congleton Chronicle, 29 Oct 1976 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH972.

<8> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), 22584 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<8> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 22584 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<9> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, (1901) p.77, 119 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<10> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.41 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.