Monument record 971/1 - Bradley promontory fort above Beechbrook 50m S Beechmill House

Bradley is the smallest of the Cheshire hillforts and its citing is different to others such as Helsby. The view is restricted in most directions by higher ground, but the site does take advantage of a steep stream bank, a tributary of the Weaver River. Its internal area is about 1.5 acres, and the whole site is roughly 2acres in extent. Its surviving condition is relatively poor as it has been frequently ploughed. It is, however, possible to see that the defences were comprised of a single bank with an outer ditch. The maximum height of the bank above the base of the ditch is 0.5m. A the east end the site is truncated by a modern field boundary and drainage ditch - these may correspond to the original defences, but this is uncertain. The west edge of the site is truncated by a sunken cart track. Where best preserved, these together measure between 75 – 80 feet front to back, therefore a fairly strong rampart and ditch. There is no clear indication of an entrance, but the likely place for one would be at the north-eastern corner, between the north end of the eastern defences and the steep natural slope of the stream bank (1). Formal site visits (ECH5719) described the monument has a univallate (single rampart). The outer ditch and rampart are very degraded with the distance between the front of the ditch and rear of the rampart 80m.

The site is suspected of having a prehistoric or Roman-British origin, but no dating evidence has yet to be recovered (10). Recent geophysical work in 2011 (ECH5272) identified a number of linear anomalies, possibly indicative of an in-turned entrance to the enclosure, and combined with a wider landscape study, established its possible role in socio-economic Iron Age landscape (9). A recent site inspection found that a tractor route across the eastern boundary of the monument was causing active erosion (13). No excavations have taken place at this monument.

<1> Forde-Johnston J, 1962, The Iron Age Hillforts of Lancashire and Cheshire, p.19-20 (Article in Journal). SCH6913.

<2> Longley D, 1979, Prehistoric Sites in Cheshire, /48 (Report). SCH2719.

<3> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 51/51-59 Varley W J 1936 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<4> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Varley W J 1936 31/120 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ57NW6 1976 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/106, 113-4 Longley D 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<7> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), 25693 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<8> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.481 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<9> Engineering Archaeological Services, 2011, Bradley Promontory Fort Geophysical Survey, R3263 (Client Report). SCH6645.

<10> Bray, Alice, H. C, 2012, An Evaluation of the Archaeology of Bradley Promontory Fort, Cheshire (Unpublished Report). SCH7135.

<11> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 25693 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<12> 1978, Bradley Promontory Fort above Beechbrook 50m south of Beechmill House, Vale Royal District, Notes of Fieldwork (Written Communication). SCH7280.

<13> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Jenny Stopford, Personal Communication (Written Communication). SCH3756.