<< Our Photo Pages >> Armada Beacon - Round Barrow(s) in England in Cheshire
Submitted by vicky on Tuesday, 23 July 2002 Page Views: 12378
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Armada BeaconCountry: England County: Cheshire Type: Round Barrow(s)
Nearest Town: Wilmslow Nearest Village: Alderley Edge
Map Ref: SJ858777 Landranger Map Number: 118
Latitude: 53.296063N Longitude: 2.214507W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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TimPrevett has visited here
Alderley Edge itself has a number of interesting features. Clues to its prehistoric past may lie in some of the place names such as Findlow Wood and Brindlow Wood, indicating the presence of ancient barrows. Particularly of interest is this mound on which the Armada Beacon was erected circa 1578. The subject of much debate by antiquarians, it has now been scheduled as a Bronze Age barrow.
Elsewhere on the Edge several ‘earth circles’ have been reported. It is unclear at present whether these are ancient barrows or the result of more recent landscaping activities by the landowners, perhaps tree rings. The following was written on them by C.Roeder in the TLCAS in 1901:
‘Then close to the Engine Vein, on its southern side, we have the distinct ramparts of an earthen circle or entrenchment, twelve yards in diameter, known popularly as the “Seven Firs”; another one, in proximity, six yards across; not far away on its northern side another one, seven and a half yards across and two feet high; near the Golden Stone, north-west of the Edge Farm in Dickens Wood, we distinguish another fine example in good preservation, sixteen yards in diameter; another at Windmill Wood; and south-east of the Wizard, in a field a little way from the Macclesfield Road, we encounter a much larger earthen circle, thirty yards in diameter and four feet six inches high in one place, which is also marked on the recent six-inch ordnance map.’
Shortly afterwards in 1904 the circle near Macclesfield road was ‘levelled for agricultural requirements’ but before its destruction Roeder and Graves had the site examined. Trenches were made in the centre at right angles, but nothing was found apart from the composition of the circle: ‘We came first on a light soil, then stony clay, and below 4 feet sandy coarse loam. We were here on the original ground, and so abstained from further useless attempts.’ .
Access
Park in the main National Trust car park at GR: SJ860773 and follow the footpath through the woods past the Engine Vein mine.
References
Cheshire County Sites and Monuments Record
W. Shone “Prehistoric Man in Cheshire” (1911)
C.Roeder and F.S. Graves “Recent Archaeological Discoveries at Alderley Edge”, TLCAS
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
100m N 360° Wizard's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SJ858778)
188m NNE 32° Holy Well (Alderley Edge)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SJ85907786)
199m E 90° Wishing Well (Alderley Edge)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SJ860777)
304m ENE 67° Wizard's Cave Cave or Rock Shelter (SJ86087782)
315m ESE 108° Golden Stone (Alderley Edge)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SJ861776)
315m ESE 108° Engine Vein, Alderley Edge Copper Mines* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SJ861776)
324m NE 56° Druidical Circle* Modern Stone Circle etc (SJ86077788)
439m NNE 30° Findlow Marker Stone (SJ86027808)
986m SSE 160° Great Merestone Marker Stone (SJ86137677)
1.7km ENE 66° Mottram St Andrew Mines Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SJ874784)
3.2km S 183° Birtles Hall Round Barrow(s) (SJ856745)
4.1km SSW 203° Sodger's Hump* Round Barrow(s) (SJ842739)
4.3km E 100° St Peter (Prestbury)* Ancient Cross (SJ9008676910)
4.7km ESE 123° Prestbury Road (Macclesfield)* Ancient Cross (SJ89727511)
4.7km ENE 65° Adlington Hall pre-Norman cross* Ancient Cross (SJ901797)
4.9km E 83° Bonis Hall Lane* Round Barrow(s) (SJ907783)
4.9km E 82° Butley Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SJ9072278334)
5.0km SSW 197° Capesthorne Hall (NE)* Round Barrow(s) (SJ843729)
5.1km SSW 203° Capesthorne Hall (NW) Round Barrow(s) (SJ838730)
5.2km E 87° Butley Stone Circle (SJ9178)
5.3km SSW 194° Capesthorne Hall (SE)* Round Barrow(s) (SJ845726)
5.3km WNW 295° Lindow* Ancient Trackway (SJ810800)
5.7km SSE 149° New Farm, Henbury* Stone Circle (SJ887728)
5.9km SSE 164° Bearhurst Farm* Round Barrow(s) (SJ874720)
5.9km ESE 123° Macclesfield Cemetery* Round Barrow(s) (SJ908745)
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