Monument record 563/1/3 - Bewsey Old Hall

<1> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 10/83 Smart R 1984 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

Excavations 1983-5 revealed structures to the rear of Bewsey Hall and underneath present farmhouse. Two red sandstone floors were revealed and associated walls, indicating a number of 17th C farm buildings. Between the farmhouse and the present causeway onto the platform was a stone-lined well, c.10m deep and apparently in use and kept clean recently, although it appears to be post medieval in date

<2> Post Medieval Archaeology, Egan G 1985 19/170-171 (Journal/Periodical). SCH2670.

<3> Lewis J, 2000, The Medieval Earthworks of the Hundred of West Derby (Monograph). SCH3778.

The archaeological evidence for early buildings is not clearly understood. The earliest building is though to be represented by the charred remains of a beam over 12.5m long, set on an east-west alignment and possibly associated with a set of post holes. A radiocarbon dare of AD 1130 ( 820+/-70BP), relates to the period AD1060-1200. A linear spread of material is now thought to represent the remains of another early wall some 5m north and parallel to the charred beam. It produced a coin of 14th century date. Between these were the remains of 2 hearths. A rectangular building c.12.5m x 5m is indicated. There were in addition a number of pits or post holes and gulleys which contained material of 14th century date. An undated beam slot and post hole were also discovered which although undated were stratigraphically earlier than the other features. 7m to the south was the acorn pit, so named because of the thick layer of acorns within it and a leather shoe. The pit was filled c.1350-1450. A long, shallow gulley 1m wide lay some 2m east of the beam slot and post hole, it is thought to represent the remains of a palisade. Both the gulley and the post hole were overlain by a thick spread of material which contained large quantities of material including Ewloe and Humberware, along with large amounts of animal bone. Both types of pottery could date from the 15th century. A pair of low stone walls aligned n-s and 9m apart are thought to relate the reconstruction of the house following a fire in the 14th century. The date is supported by three timbers which have been dated using dendrochronology to c.1352-1392

<4> Matrix Archaeology, 2004, Bewsey Old Hall, Warrington, Cheshire; Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (Client Report). SCH4728.