Monument record 1610 - Blue Boar Farm Saxon Cross

Site of Saxon cross. A fragment of a cylindrical cross shaft, 0.45m x 0.25m x 0.2m is built into the garden wall of Blue Boar farm nearby at SJ 97087654 (1). Following a site visit in 1985, the piece of cross was taken to Manchester Museum for cleaning. It is rectangular in section with an ornament of roundels. It is hoped to store it in Jenkin Chapel. (4) A further section of the cross was seen by Alan Garner, forming part of a gate post. It was about 50m down from the standing cross, on Erwin Lane going towards Buxter Stoops farm, on the right hand side at approximately 976763 (5). Research has not as yet uncovered the original site of this cross or the date it was erected, but its design indicates that it is part of a Late Mercian cross (9th century). In a newspaper report from The Macclesfield Times and East Cheshire Observer of 3rd Feb 1933 an article by Walter Smith refers to Doctor Sainter's 'Scientific Rambles Round Macclesfied' 1878. The gist of these articles is that the cross shaft was recorded as lying in a field south of Blue Boar Farm, near and associated with three Tumuli. The three tumuli were also, according to the article, on an old 6" map. The tumuli are not on the SMR record and no evidence of the base or other parts of the cross were seen by the authors during a fieldwalking exercise (6). Short history of crosses, the return of the cross after cleaning at Manchester University to Blue Boar Farm and methods of cleaning (6).

Peak District National Park Archaeology Service, 2003, Common Barn Farm, Rainow and Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough, Cheshire. (Client Report). SCH4748.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ97NE6/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/290 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.179 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<4> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Wybron G 1985 (inc. Photos) (Written Communication). SCH3756.

<5> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Garner A 1996 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

<6> Wybron G and Harrison V, 1995, The Blue Boar Farm Cross Shaft (Monograph). SCH3059.