Monument record 832 - Eddisbury Hill cremation cemetery

Late Neolithic/early Bronze Age Cremation. In 1850 a group of urns containing calcined bones was found in the sand pit which lies just on the edge of the higher gravels, at c.460 ft OD, on the east side of Eddisbury hill. Most of the urns were lost but fragments found their way to the Liverpool and Warrington Museums. Varley identified the fragments in Warrington Museum as an encrusted urn of the LBA (1). However it has now been identified as Late Neolithic Grooved ware. The fragment is heavily gritted and decorated with 'maggots' in triangles, rows and zig-zag arrangements (2). This is probably the same find that was reported by Dr Thorn, who records the discovery of an urn containing burnt bones. The urn was broken but was originally 9 or 10 ins in diameter and 4 or 5 ins tall. Below the rim was an ornamental border c.2ins deep consisting of alternate black & white squares. Seen in 1851 by Dr Thorn, in a field called the sand-pit field SE of the trig cairn (3). Frags of the urn are in Liverpool Public Museum (4). The finds are probably the same although reference 1 locates the site to the East of Eddisbury Hill (SJ 546 688) and reference 3 locates it to the SW. The OS locate it to the North (SJ 5476 6901) (5). Reference 3 mentions only one urn, while reference 1 mentions several. Reference 3 also mentions a mound of sandstone. Longley notes (10) discuss whether this site represents one, two or three barrows.

An assessment of the area surrounding Eddisbury hillfort was carried out by English Heritage in 2000. In this, they noted two separate records for Bronze Age cremations in the National Monuments Records including one to the south-west of Eddisbury of a single Bronze Age cremation urn in a stone-lined pit (NMR 71345). The detail suggests it was discovered in 'Sandhole Field' in 1851. The same document make reference to a second discovery of several late Neolithic to Bronze Age cremations to the north or east of the hillfort during quarrying in 1850 (NMR 71185). (11)

Given the collected information provided it is suggested that these two records represent a single discovery of several Neolithic to Bronze Age cremation urns during quarrying and the subsequent recovery of several sherds from one of the Neolithic urns, now at Warrington Museum.

<1> Varley W J, 1950, Excavations at the Castle Ditch, Eddisbury, 1935-1938, 102/52 Varley W J 1950 (Article in Journal). SCH7299.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, /52 Longley D 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 4/99-100 Thorn Dr 1851 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<4> Grosvenor Museum, Grosvenor Museum Accessions, /5 (Index). SCH407.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ56NE8/1961 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Varley, W. J. & Jackson, J. W., 1940, Prehistoric Cheshire, /102 fig.19E (Book). SCH2692.

<7> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 71/16 + 32 & 38 Bu'lock J D 1961 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ56NE5/1961 (Index). SCH2487.

<9> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 50/98 Jackson J W 1934 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<10> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.84, 95 & 106 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<11> English Heritage, 2000, An archaeological assessment of Old Pale Farm, Delamere, Cheshire, R3559 (Client Report). SCH4358.