LAND AT HALLSTEADS, DOVE HOLES, DERBYSHIRE
DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT Report Number 2013/20 July 2013
ArcHeritage is a trading name of York Archaeological Trust. The Trust undertakes a wide range of urban and rural archaeological consultancies, surveys, evaluations, assessments and excavations for commercial, academic and charitable clients. We manage projects, provide professional advice and fieldwork to ensure a high quality, cost effective archaeological and heritage service. Our staff have a considerable depth and variety of professional experience and an international reputation for research, development and maximising the public, educational and commercial benefits of archaeology. Based in York, Sheffield, Nottingham and Glasgow the Trust’s services are available throughout Britain and beyond.
ArcHeritage, Campo House, 54 Campo Lane, Sheffield S1 2EG Phone: +44 (0)114 2728884 Fax: +44 (0)114 3279793 [email protected] www.archeritage.co.uk
© 2013 York Archaeological Trust for Excavation and Research Limited Registered Office: 47 Aldwark, York YO1 7BX A Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No. 1430801 A registered Charity in England & Wales (No. 509060) and Scotland (No. SCO42846) ArcHeritage i
CONTENTS
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY ...... III
KEY PROJECT INFORMATION ...... IV
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1
2 LOCATION, GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ...... 1 2.1 Geotechnical Investigations ...... 1
3 METHODOLOGY ...... 1 3.1 Aims and objectives ...... 1 3.2 Sources ...... 1 3.3 Survey ...... 2 3.4 Designations...... 2
4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND...... 2 4.1 Prehistoric and Roman ...... 2 4.2 Medieval ...... 3 4.3 Sixteenth to eighteenth centuries ...... 3 4.4 Nineteenth century ...... 4 4.5 Modern ...... 5
5 RESULTS ...... 5 5.1 Site visit ...... 5 5.2 Archaeological potential and significance ...... 7 5.5 Recommendations ...... 7
6 CONCLUSIONS ...... 8
7 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 8
8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 9
9 FIGURES ...... 10
10 PLATES ...... 11
APPENDIX 1 – GAZETTEER OF KNOWN CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSETS ...... 19
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage ii
Figures Figure 1: Site location map Figure 2: Known cultural heritage sites Figure 3: 1877 OS map Figure 4: 1898 OS map Figure 5: 1922 OS map Figure 6: 1972 OS map
Plates Cover: View of site Plate 1: Mid-20th-century aerial photograph of Dove Holes, looking north-west, showing farm track across site Plate 2: Looking south-west from the A6 Plate 3: Realignment of boundary wall for mid-20th-century lay-by, looking south Plate 4: Realignment of boundary wall for mid-20th-century lay-by, looking north Plate 5: Central part of site, looking south-west; darker linear feature running left to right may mark a land drain Plate 6: Changing ground-level in the north-east corner of the site Plate 7: Public footpath along northern site boundary Plate 8: Public footpath leading to bridge over railway Plate 9: North-west corner of site, showing changes in ground level Plate 10: Boundary wall along railway embankment at west of site Plate 11: Looking north-east towards the A6 Plate 12: South-west boundary wall and former LNWR line Plate 13: Bridge over railway at south-west corner of site Plate 14: Site boundary wall abuts, but is not keyed-in to, the bridge abutments Plate 15: Wall, gate and fence along south-west boundary Plate 16: Retaining wall in south-east corner of site
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage iii
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY This report comprises a heritage statement for land off Hallsteads, Dove Holes, Derbyshire (centred on NGR SK 0772 7868). The assessment was commissioned by Philip Moore. Research for the heritage statement indicates that there is no evidence of prehistoric activity within the site, although the Bull Ring henge is situated approximately 0.29km to the south- east. A major prehistoric site of this nature would have been a focal point and local settlement during this period is likely. Key routes through the area are likely to have provided access to the Bull Ring. Their courses are unclear and it is not known if any of these crossed the site. As part of the Herbage of Hallsteads, the site may have been in use as pasture from at least the 13th century. The site remained pasture throughout the early post-medieval period, when it appears to have formed part of a larger plot with land to the west of the railway line and to the east of the present-day A6. Any archaeological deposits associated with these periods are likely to relate to low-level agricultural activity such as field boundaries and drainage or small items deposited through casual loss. No buildings are known to have stood within the site since at least 1840. At that date, a boundary wall in the site’s north-west corner also ran into the plots that are now situated to the west of the railway and to the north of the public footpath and embankment. The wall is likely to have been removed in association with the construction of the railway and the embankment and bridge in 1863. The site’s western boundary was also established at that date. While the boundary walls along the site’s south and east perimeters have been modified in relation to the development of housing and the A6, the wall along the site’s western boundary may retain elements of its original structure. The site remained in use as pasture throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Due to the site’s proximity to the Bull Ring henge and the barrow to the south-east, previously unknown prehistoric archaeological deposits cannot be ruled out. As little ground disturbance appears to have occurred within the site, any such deposits may be preserved in good condition.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage iv
KEY PROJECT INFORMATION Project Name Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Project No. 4072141 Report status DRAFT Type of Project Desk-based Assessment Client Philip Moore NGR SK 0772 7868 (centred) Author Mark Stenton Illustrations Mark Stenton, Rowan May Editor Rowan May Report Number and Date 2013/20 12/07.2013
Copyright Declaration: ArcHeritage give permission for the material presented within this report to be used by the archives/repository with which it is deposited, in perpetuity, although ArcHeritage retains the right to be identified as the author of all project documentation and reports, as specified in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (chapter IV, section 79). The permission will allow the repository to reproduce material, including for use by third parties, with the copyright owner suitably acknowledged.
Disclaimer: This Report has been prepared solely for the person/party which commissioned it and for the specifically titled project or named part thereof referred to in the Report. The Report should not be relied upon or used for any other project by the commissioning person/party without first obtaining independent verification as to its suitability for such other project, and obtaining the prior written approval of York Archaeological Trust for Excavation and Research Limited (“YAT”) (trading as ArcHeritage). YAT accepts no responsibility or liability for the consequences of this Report being relied upon or used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was specifically commissioned. Nobody is entitled to rely upon this Report other than the person/party which commissioned it. YAT accepts no responsibility or liability for any use of or reliance upon this Report by anybody other than the commissioning person/party.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 1
1 INTRODUCTION This report is a heritage statement for land at Hallsteads, Dove Holes, Derbyshire. The report presents a synthesis of the archaeological and historical background of the site. The aim is to establish the known cultural heritage resource within the site; to provide a context for the identification and understanding of any potential cultural heritage resource; to identify cultural heritage opportunities and constraints; and to assess the effect of the proposed development on the cultural heritage resource. Significant sites or findspots situated outside the search area which have a potential bearing on the archaeological context of the site are also listed. The report was commissioned by Philip Moore.
2 LOCATION, GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY The site, centred on NGR SK 0772 7868, is an approximately 1.5 hectare plot located on the west side of Hallsteads (A6), Dove Holes, approximately 2.6km to the south-east of Chapel en le Frith and approximately 5.18km to the north-east of Buxton (Figure 1). The site is bounded by the A6 at the east, the Manchester to Buxton railway at the west, a public footpath at the north and houses and gardens at the south. Ground cover within the site is currently pasture and scrub. Ground level within the site is lower than that of the adjacent footpath along Hallsteads and slopes down from south-west to north-east. The solid geology of the site mostly comprises Bowland Shale Formation mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, with an area of Monsal Dale Limestone at the south-east. 2.1 Geotechnical Investigations A search of the British Geological Survey’s online borehole mapping did not return any records for the site.
3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Aims and objectives The general aim of the survey was to determine the nature of the archaeological resource in the proposal area. This was achieved by collating existing archaeological and historic information relating to the proposed development area and its immediate environs and by placing it in its local, regional and national context. 3.2 Sources All readily available published and unpublished documentary sources were consulted, including historic maps and recent aerial photographic data. Information on recorded heritage assets within a 1km radius of the site was obtained from the regional authority. Relevant documents, databases and secondary sources, published and unpublished, were consulted. Data was collected from the following sources:
Derbyshire Historic Environment Record (HER); Derbyshire record Office (DRO); National Monuments Record (NMR); Archaeology Data Service (ADS);
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 2
British Geological Survey (BGS); Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC); Heritage Gateway online; Portable Antiquities Scheme; ArcHeritage library. 3.3 Survey A walkover survey was undertaken by Mark Stenton on 9th July 2013 to assess the general aspect, character, condition and setting of the site and to identify any potential archaeological features and impacts not evident from secondary sources. 3.4 Designations All cultural heritage designations were checked for the area, including Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs), Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Registered Parks and Gardens and Registered Battlefields. The site is not located within a Conservation Area. While situated on the opposite side of Hallsteads from the boundary of the Peak District National Park, the site is not within the Park itself. Two Scheduled Ancient Monuments are situated within 1km of the site: the Bull Ring henge (Site 32), located approximately 0.29km to the south-east, and the Bull Ring oval bowl barrow (Site 35), situated to the south-west of the henge. No listed buildings are situated within the 1km search area.
4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 4.1 Prehistoric and Roman No prehistoric sites or findspots are recorded within the site. Two sites from this period are situated within the 1km search area: the Bull Ring henge (Site 32) and the Bull Ring oval bowl barrow (Site 35). The Class II henge has a circular vallum or bank with a double entrance and a rock-cut ditch on the inside and is the site of a former stone circle. During the 18th century, a dry stone wall was constructed across the monument and its interior was given over to arable use, while Pilkington stated that a single orthostat remained at the site in 1789. This has since been removed. In 1940, Christopher Braylesford Bunting was told that ‘about a century ago some of the stones were taken away to build a farmhouse, and other large stones were used as gateposts and doorposts for shippons and for a track across the (Peak Forest) tramway’ (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 3). Two human skeletons ‘having belonged to men nearly seven feet high’ were reportedly discovered at the site in 1840 ‘when excavations for stones were being made within the circle’ (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 3). The HER records the discovery of a skeleton during quarrying in 1902, while bone, waste flint flakes and Beaker ceramic were recovered from the site in 1949 and a sherd of Roman pottery was found in 1984. Braylsford Bunting noted that ‘the ancient road from the south-west close to Arbor Low runs within a few yards of the Bull Ring’ (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 3) and the two henges may have been connected by prehistoric trackways.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 3
The Bull Ring oval bowl barrow (Site 35) is situated to the south-west of the henge. While this site appears to consist of a Neolithic oval barrow and a probable Bronze Age bowl barrow, the HER also records the suggestion that the site ‘may have been a (Neolithic) long barrow with a round barrow superimposed’ and also that the mound ‘might be spoil from the adjacent quarry workings’. The summit of the mound has been disturbed by the construction of a Second World War slit trench. A potential prehistoric barrow site is suggested by the name ‘Sitting Low’ (Site 12), although there is no evidence that such a feature was situated here. No Roman sites or findspots are recorded within the site. Dove Holes appears to have been situated in the tribal territory of the Corieltauvi during the Iron Age and early Romano-British periods. The course of a Roman road that runs north-west through the parish of Chapel en le Frith (Site 8) is located approximately 0.35km to the west of the site. A sherd of Roman pottery was recovered from the Bull Ring henge (Site 32) in 1984. 4.2 Medieval There are no known early medieval sites or findspots within the site. Dove Holes appears to have been part of the territory of the Pecsaetna during the early medieval period, before being absorbed into the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. One site from this period is recorded within the 1km search area: the Martin Side cross base (Site 18). This feature is ‘thought to be of pre-Norman date’ (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 16). Hallsteads is thought to be referenced in the names of Robert de Hausted and Robert de Austude, who were recorded in 1249 and 1280 respectively (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 93, 154, 308). These references need not refer to the area in the site’s immediate vicinity, however, as ‘Hallsteads’ appears to have been applied to a wider area ‘comprising practically the whole site of the village of Dove Holes’ prior to the early 18th century (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 171). The name’s application to a wider area does, however, suggest that the site formed part of the Herbage of Hallsteads, one of three areas of pasture that were let from Crown lands in the Bowden Edge area during this period (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 154). There are no known later medieval sites or findspots within the site or the 1km search area. 4.3 Sixteenth to eighteenth centuries There are no recorded 16th- to 18th-century sites or findspots within the proposal area. A ‘new messuage called the Hall Stidds’ was recorded in 1650, while the village was named as ‘ye Dovehole’ in that same year (Braylesford Bunting 1940, 154, 299). A ‘way from the Loads Gate to the great road at Dove Holes…for the use of Herralds or Hall Steads’ was recorded with ‘the ancient way’ in 1721 but the course of this route is unclear (DRO D513/M/E/246). Peter Perez Burdett’s 1791 map of Derbyshire did not show any features or indications of land use within the site or its immediate vicinity. Other 16th- to 18th-century sites are recorded within the 1km search area: a by-pass on the Sparrowpit Gate turnpike road (Site 4); a dew pond to the north-east of Ridgeclose Farm (Site 11); a township boundary stone (Site 14) between Peak Forest and Bowden Edge; numerous features are associated with the Peak Forest Tramway (Site 1), which was constructed in 1795
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 4
to transport limestone from quarries at Dove Holes to Buxworth canal basin: a dry stone boundary wall at Dove Holes Dale; Gisburne’s Quarry; Loads Knowl Quarry; Dove Holes Quarry 1; Dove Holes Quarry 2; Dove Holes Quarry 3; Dove Holes Quarry 9; a tramway branch running past Dove Holes Quarry 9; Dove Holes Quarry workings and Lime Ash dumps; Dove Holes lime kiln; and lime kiln pits and lime ash mounds to the south of Dale Road. 4.4 Nineteenth century There are no recorded 19th-century sites within the proposed development area. The present-day A6, immediately to the east of the site was part of the 1801 Barmoor to Buxton turnpike extension. Prior to the construction of the road, the site may have formed part of a larger plot with land now situated to the east of the A6. The site was not shown on an 1831 plan of land ‘where Gibson’s proposed railway was to cross the road near Dove Holes’ (DRO D307/I/8/9). Prior to the construction of the LNWR railway in 1863, the site formed part of a field with the plots now to the west of the railway line and to the north of the public footpath leading to Rosebud Cottage and Hallstead Farm. The 1840 Ordnance Survey map, which cannot be reproduced due to archival restrictions, showed a field boundary that ran from the northern plot into the north-west corner of the site and on into the field to the west. The ruined remains of a boundary wall in the field to the north of the public footpath are likely to be the remnant of the boundary marked on the 1840 map. This feature, which may have run along the top of the slope in the site’s north-west corner, is likely to have been removed from the site when the LNWR railway and the embankment carrying the footpath to the railway bridge were constructed in 1863. The boundary wall remained extant in the northern and western plots at the time of the 1877 and 1898 OS maps (Figures 3 and 4). No archaeological finds are known to have been reported in association with the construction of the railway line through Hallsteads. An 1865 plan of the railway (DRO Q/RP/2/67), which cannot be reproduced due to archival restrictions, showed the site with the majority of its present-day boundaries, including the course of the present-day public footpath at the north. No changes were shown within the site on the 1877 Ordnance Survey map (Figure 3), with the exception of a single line of trees along the majority of the boundary with the railway line at the west. No features were shown within the site on the 1877 map and no changes were shown on the 1898 OS map (Figure 4). Further 19th-century features are recorded within the 1km search area: a boundary stone to the north of Brookleigh (Site 3); the Loads Knowl Road Bridge (Site 9); St. Paul’s Church, Hallsteads (Site 34); the Primitive Methodist Chapel and burial ground, Buxton Road (Site 42); and the course of Bibbington’s Tramway (Site 44). Further 19th-century features are associated with the Peak Forest Tramway (Site 1): boundary stones marking the limit of the Peak Forest Canal Company’s responsibility for road repairs; the Dove Holes Quarry branch; the tramway trackbed at Dove Holes Dale; the site of a wharf at Barmoor Clough; the site of limesheds, sidings and junctions at Dove Holes Dale; the former incline to the top of east kiln bank; a boundary and retaining wall at the Top O’ The Plane complex; a boundary and a retaining wall at Barmoor Clough Tunnel; the tramway’s western
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 5
boundary wall at Dove Holes Dale; the western boundary and retaining wall at Dove Holes Dale; a boundary wall at Upper Dove Holes Dale quarries; the site of limesheds, sidings and junctions at Dove Holes Dale; the site of Black Hole Terrace; stone sleeper blocks near Higher Hallsteads and Ridgeclose; a tramway bridge near Higher Hallsteads; a boundary wall and enclosure; a former hut and enclosure, with a section of trackbed; a wooden stile; a mound of limestone rubble close to the trackbed; the site of a row of cottages on Dale Road; a subsidiary limestone quarry to the south and south-west of Loads Knowl; the site of Dove Holes limestone quarry; and a series of quarries and lime ash dumps. 4.5 Modern No changes were shown within the site on the 1922 Ordnance Survey map (Figure 5), with the exception of the removal of the trees along the boundary with the railway line. No features were shown within the site at that date. An aerial photograph of Dove Holes available online (http:// www.ebc- indevelopment.co.uk/peak_dev/time/industry/limestone.html) showed a track that led across the site from north-east to south-west (Plate 1). This feature is likely to have been created by the movement of farm vehicles or animals through the field as two gates remain extant within the plot’s perimeter fences at each terminus of the track (Plates 7 and 15). The route would also have allowed access to the bridge over the railway at the site’s south-west corner. A darker area that was shown at the centre of the site is likely to have been surface disturbance from wheeled farm vehicles or, given the field’s use as pasture, from animal tracks around a feeder. No changes were shown within the site on Ordnance Survey maps that were produced between 1922 and 1972. By the latter date (Figure 6), the site’s present-day eastern boundary had been created by the realignment of the stone wall along the A6 due to the construction of the lay-by. No further changes were shown within the site on the 1977, 1980 or 1992 Ordnance Survey maps. One modern site is recorded in the 1km search area: Dove Holes active quarry (Site 27).
5 RESULTS 5.1 Site visit A walkover survey was conducted by Mark Stenton of ArcHeritage on 9th July 2013. Ground condition was dry, with weather conditions and visibility good. Ground cover within the site is vegetation overgrowth from former pasture. No evidence was observed for the farm track that was shown crossing the site from north-east to south-west on the mid-20th-century aerial photograph (Plate 1), although the ground surface within the site could not be examined closely due to the height and density of the vegetation. A roughly-mortared stone wall demarcates the site from a grassed balk and the A6 to the east (Plates 2 and 3). Ground-level in this part of the site is relatively flat, before rising between the south-east corner and the mid-20th-century lay-by to the north. The course of the boundary wall was realigned in association with the lay-by’s construction (Plates 3 and 4).
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 6
To the north of the lay-by, a linear cropmark runs north-west across the field (Plate 7). While visible from the site boundary as a darker green mark within the vegetation, no obvious features were present along its course on the ground. The cropmark, which was not visible on the mid-20th-century aerial photograph (Plate 1), may mark the course of a field drain. A barbed wire and wooden post fence demarcate the site perimeter from a public footpath to the north (Plates 7 and 8). A metal gate is situated in the fence at the northern terminus of the track that was shown on the aerial photograph. The ground level slopes down to the site’s north-west corner, where the public footpath is carried over the railway line by a stone bridge (Plate 8). The ground level in the site’s north-west corner slopes down along the boundary with the railway, with its lowest point being approximately 4m below the level of the footpath (Plate 9). The path appears to be an embankment leading to the bridge over the railway. From the bridge, several narrow green linear cropmarks were visible running north-east/south-west along the slope of the hill (Plate 9). On examination, no obvious evidence was observed to identify these features, although it is possible that they may relate to past boundaries such as the boundary wall that was shown running through this area on the 1840 OS map. The ground level undulates along the site’s north-west boundary, where it is demarcated from the railway by a stone boundary wall (Plate 10). Collapsed sections along this part of the wall have been secured by modern fencing. While occasional trees grow on the railway embankment, no evidence was observed for the mature trees that were shown along this boundary on the 1877 Ordnance Survey map (Figure 3). From the mid-point of the western perimeter, the ground level slopes up and is then relatively flat towards the site’s south-west corner (Plates 11 and 12). While built to a similar design as the boundary wall along the eastern perimeter, that at the west of the site contains upright coping stones inserted at intervals (Plate 12). A second railway bridge is situated at the south-west corner of the site (Plate 13). While this feature lies immediately beyond the site boundary, access over the bridge was available from the field and remains unblocked. It is possible that the bridge was constructed at this location to replace an earlier track through the fields, although there is no evidence to demonstrate this. The stone abutments of the railway bridge remain intact but are not keyed-in to the site’s south-west boundary wall (Plate 14). The majority of the site’s southern perimeter is marked by a fence containing an old farm gate, a wire and wooden post fence and a low stone wall (Plate 15). The rising ground along the south-east site boundary is marked by a substantial stone retaining wall approximately 1.5 to 2.5m high (Plate 16). This feature is likely to have been constructed in association with the mid-20th-century houses immediately to the south. The extent to which the structure may retain elements of the original field boundary wall is unknown. Several 20th-century utility services concrete markers have been lined up against the base of the wall, while drainage inspection hatches indicate the presence of sub-surface services in this area.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 7
5.2 Archaeological potential and significance Assessment of the potential for archaeological remains to be present is based on known archaeological sites in the vicinity, the nature of current and historic land-use, and available information on the nature and condition of sub-surface deposits. A low potential reflects a below-average likelihood for the preservation of remains based on known parameters; moderate represents an average potential, while high reflects an above- average potential for the survival of archaeology. A broad assessment of archaeological significance is also included in the text below. No previous archaeological investigations are known to have been undertaken within the site. There is no evidence of prehistoric activity within the site, although the Bull Ring henge approximately 0.29km to the south-east was a major prehistoric site of key importance. While prehistoric settlement is not recorded in the area, the Bull Ring would have been a focal point and local settlement during this period is likely. The henge would have been served by a number of important trackways, the routes of which are unknown. Despite the current lack of specific evidence for prehistoric activity, the site’s proximity to the Bull Ring and the barrow to the south-east, suggest that the archaeological potential for the prehistoric period can be considered to be moderate to high. There is no evidence of Roman activity within the site. A Roman road that ran through the Dove Holes area is situated approximately 0.35km to the west and only a single sherd of Roman pottery has been recovered from the 1km search area. The archaeological potential for the Roman period is considered to be low. Hallsteads was recorded as part of a ‘herbage’ during the medieval period. While the name was applied to a wider area in that period, this does suggest that the land within the site may have been in use as pasture from at least the 13th century. The site remained pasture throughout the early post-medieval period, when it appears to have formed part of a larger plot including land to the west of the railway line and the east of the A6. Any archaeological deposits associated with these periods are therefore likely to relate to low-level agricultural activity such as field boundaries and drainage or small items deposited through casual loss. The archaeological potential associated with the medieval and early post-medieval periods is considered to be low. The site remained in use as pasture throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The site’s western boundary was created by the construction of the LNWR railway line during the mid-19th century. While damaged in places, the boundary wall along this perimeter is likely to retain more elements of its original structure than those along the south and east, which have been modified with the development of the houses and the A6 respectively. The archaeological potential associated with the modern period is low. 5.5 Recommendations Given the proximity of the site to the major prehistoric site of the Bull Ring henge and the barrow to the south-east, previously unknown prehistoric deposits cannot be ruled out. The field appears to have been in use as pasture since the medieval period, which suggests that little ground disturbance has occurred within the site. Any prehistoric archaeological deposits that may be present within the site may therefore be preserved in good condition.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 8
Further archaeological evaluation is likely to be required to ascertain the potential sub-surface archaeology. Proposals for archaeological investigations should be discussed and agreed with the Derbyshire County Council Development Control Archaeologist.
6 CONCLUSIONS Research for the heritage statement indicates that the majority of the site is likely to have been in agricultural use since the medieval period, when it formed part of the Herbage of Hallsteads. There is no evidence of prehistoric activity within the site, although the Bull Ring henge is situated approximately 0.29km to the south-east. A major prehistoric site of this nature would have been a focal point and local settlement during this period is likely. Key routes through the peak are likely to have provided access to the Bull Ring. Their courses are unclear and it is not known if any of these crossed the site. As part of the Herbage of Hallsteads, the site may have been in use as pasture from at least the 13th century. The site remained pasture throughout the early post-medieval period, when it appears to have formed part of a larger plot with land to the west of the railway line and to the east of the present-day A6. Any archaeological deposits associated with these periods are likely to relate to low-level agricultural activity such as field boundaries and drainage or small items deposited through casual loss. No buildings are known to have stood within the site since at least 1840. At that date, a boundary wall in the site’s north-west corner also ran into the plots that are now to the west of the railway and to the north of the public footpath. The wall is likely to have been removed in association with the construction of the railway and the embankment and bridge in 1863. The site’s western boundary was also established at that date. While the boundary walls along the site’s south and east perimeters have been modified in relation to the development of housing and the A6, the wall along the site’s western boundary may retain elements of its original structure. The site remained in use as pasture throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Due to the site’s proximity to the Bull Ring henge and the barrow to the south-east, previously unknown prehistoric archaeological deposits cannot be ruled out. As little ground disturbance appears to have occurred within the site, any such deposits may be preserved in good condition.
7 BIBLIOGRAPHY Publications Bradbury, C. 1891. Pictures of the Peak. Wardley: Buxton. Cameron, K. 1959. The Place-names of Derbyshire. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Cox, Charles, J. 1907. Memorials of Old Derbyshire. Bemrose and Sons: London. Hope Moncrieff, A.R. 1898. Black’s Guide To Buxton. Black: London. Jessop, O., Duckworth, S. and Badcock, A. 2004. Heritage Audit of the Peak Forest Tramway and the Cromford and High Peak Railway. Unpublished ARCUS report.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 9
Hey, D. 1980. Packmen, Carriers and Packhorse Roads. Leicester University Press: Leicester. Jackson, T. (ed.). 1870. The Diary of the Reverend John Wesley. Vol.III. Wesleyan Conference Office: London. Robertson, W.H. 1854. A Handbook to the Peak of Derbyshire. Bradbury and Evans: London. Documents 1721 Certificate allowing a way from Load Gate to the great road at Dove Holes, 8 yards wide for the use of Herralds or Hallsteads, with the ancient way and power to water (DRO D513/I/M/E/246) 1856 North Derbyshire railway plans and sections (DRP D5214/2/2) 1865 Sheffield to Buxton and Liverpool Railway plans and sections (DRO Q/RP/2/67) Aerial photographs Peak District National Park: a living landscape http://www.ebc-indevelopment.co.uk/peak_dev/time/industry/limestone.html Accessed 7th July 2013 Google Earth Historic maps and plans 1791 Peter Perez Burdett map of Derbyshire 1840 Ordnance Survey map 1877 Ordnance Survey map 1898 Ordnance Survey map 1922 Ordnance Survey map 1955 Ordnance Survey map 1972 Ordnance Survey map 1977 Ordnance Survey map 1992 Ordnance Survey map 1992 Ordnance Survey map
8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank Nichola Manning of the Derbyshire Historic Environment Record and the staff of Derbyshire Record Office.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 10
9 FIGURES
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 OS data reproduced with permission of OS on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Licence no. 100018343.
Figure 1: Site location map ArcHeritage 407 08 09
Site boundary Search area boundary 1 2 3
5 4
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
379
13 14 16 15 17 18 19 20
22 21 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 33 35 36 37 38 39 78
41 40 42 43 44 45 46
Figure 2: Known cultural heritage sites ArcHeritage Figure 3: 1877 OS map ArcHeritage Figure 4: 1898 OS map ArcHeritage Figure 5: 1922 OS map ArcHeritage OS data reproduced with permission of OS on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Licence no. 100018343.
Figure 6: 1972 OS map ArcHeritage ArcHeritage 11
10 PLATES
Plate 1: Mid-20th-century aerial photograph of Dove Holes, looking north-west, showing farm track across site (© NMR)
Plate 2: Looking south-west from the A6
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 12
Plate 3: Realignment of boundary wall for mid-20th-century lay-by, looking south
Plate 4: Realignment of boundary wall for mid-20th-century lay-by, looking north
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 13
Plate 5: Central part of site, looking south-west; darker linear feature running left to right may mark a land drain
Plate 6: Changing ground-level in the north-east corner of the site
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 14
Plate 7: Public footpath along northern site boundary
Plate 8: Public footpath leading to bridge over railway
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 15
Plate 9: North-west corner of site, showing changes in ground level
Plate 10: Boundary wall along railway embankment at west of site
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 16
Plate 11: Looking north-east towards the A6
Plate 12: South-west boundary wall and former LNWR line
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 17
Plate 13: Bridge over railway at south-west corner of site
Plate 14: Site boundary wall abuts, but is not keyed-in to, the bridge abutments
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 18
Plate 15: Wall, gate and fence along south-west boundary
Plate 16: Retaining wall in south-east corner of site
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 19
APPENDIX 1 – GAZETTEER OF KNOWN CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSETS Site locations shown on Figure 2
HER: Historic Environment Record Site Description NGR Reference no 1 Peak Forest Tramway. Built to connect limestone quarries at Dove SK 05151 79898 HER 99011 Holes with the Peak Forest Canal Basin at Buxworth. The tramway had a self-acting incline at Town Bend, Chapel-en-le-Frith. Remains at Dove Holes have mostly been disturbed by quarrying. The tramway was used until WWI and the track was lifted in the early 1920s. The original tramway was laid in 1795. In 1803 the tramway was doubled and was relaid in 1865. All dismantled and sold for scrap in 1928. 2 Boundary and retaining walls around Top O' Th' Plane Complex SK 06922 80270 HER 29925 and running south-east to A6 at Higher Hallsteads. to SK 07810 78880
3 Parish boundary marker in existence by the late 19th century. SK 0790 7949 HER 11642
A steep hill on the original Sparrowpit Gate turnpike road SK 07729 79453 HER 29971 (Sheffield to Chapel-en-le-Frith) was by-passed to the south by the construction of a new section in 1764. 4 Northerly and easterly boundary of Peak Forest Tramway from SK 07445 79530 HER 29927 Barmoor Clough to Hallsteads, a retaining wall for part of its to SK 07810 length. Originally built 1795/6, but some stretches moved in the 78890 1860s.
5 A small and short-lived limestone quarry, excavated into the south SK 07785 79411 HER 11660 flank of Barmoor near its junction with the dale. This was the original limestone quarry and limekiln for the earliest phase of the Peak Forest Tramway. The quarry had a short life, as the Peak Forest Tramway was extended to Dove Holes in 1798, the quality if limestone at Loads Knowl being lower than expected, with a high level of impurities. 6 Geophysical survey of proposed Severn Trent reservoir site at SK 0691 7939 HER 2762 Meadow Lane, Dove Holes. 7 Small roadside limestone quarry, disused and grass-grown, south SK 07706 HER 11661 west of main Loads Knowl quarry, adjacent to the road opposite 79277 the junction for Peak Forest Tramway branch. It is small scale, with no obvious remains of a kiln for lime burning. It dates to pre- 1879. 8 Roman road running through the parish of Chapel-en-le-Frith. The SK 068 796 HER 3531 line of the Buxton - Glossop Roman road. 9 Loads Knowl Road Bridge, south of Barmoor Clough Tunnel SK 07672 79220 HER 29928 entrance, Chapel-en-le-Frith. 10 Single limestone quarry face at same level as Peak Forest SK 07948 78713 HER 29958 Tramway, merging via isolated upstand with Quarry 1 to the north. Presumably worked from the commencement of the Peak Forest Tramway's extension from Loads Knowl quarry in 1796. 11 Dew pond, north-east of Ridgeclose Farm, Peak Forest. SK 0854 7885 HER 11622
12 Sitting Low, near Chapel-en-le-Frith. Listed as a possible barrow SK 07 79 HER 3543 site by Bateman. A The site is postulated from place name evidence only. 13 Boundary Stones: White posts on either side of the road mark the SK 078 788 HER 3547 limit of the Peak Forest Canal Company's responsibility for road repairs.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 20
Site Description NGR Reference no 14 Post medieval boundary stone marking the boundary between the SK 078 788 HER 3546 two townships of Peak Forest and Bowden Edge. 15 Enclosed site, presumed to be a roadside limestone quarry. Long SK 07761 79157 HER 11662 disused. South of main Loads Knowl quarry. It is small scale, with no obvious remains of a kiln for lime burning. It dates to pre-1879. 16 Road Bridge, Higher Hallsteads, Peak Forest Tramway, Chapel-en- SK 07808 78885 HER 29931 le-Frith. 1930s rebuild. 17 Late 18th/early 19th century dry stone retaining and boundary SK 07900 78810 HER 29933 wall, with stile and footpath. to SK 07989 78640
18 'The Martine Syde Crosse'. About a quarter of a mile beyond the SK 0728 7877 HER 3548 farmstead of Martin Side is the base of a cross. 'From the rough character of the base stone and the shape of the socket, it may fairly be assumed that it is of pre-Norman date.' 19 Northernmost of the Dove Holes group of quarries. Presumably SK 07910 78755 HER 29957 worked from the commencement of the Peak Forest tramway’s extension from Loads Knowl Quarry in 1798. Disused by 1847. 20 Single limestone quarry face at same level as Peak Forest SK 07948 78713 HER 29958 Tramway. Second most northerly of the limestone quarries in Dove Holes Dale, presumably worked from the commencement of the Peak Forest Tramway's extension from Loads Knowl quarry in 1796. 21 Extensive quarry with exposed working face to east accessed by SK 08055 78591 HER29935 inclines running south-east from Peak Forest Tramway route at northwest corner of quarry. 22 Limestone quarry face, with no evidence for limekilns. The PFT SK 07968 78609 HER 29960 trackbed is unwalled on either side for the extent of Quarry 4. Probably dates from the early 1800s. 23 Historic field boundary crossing the floor of the disused quarries SK 07999 78519 HER 30901 of Upper Dove Holes Dale. Limestone rubble boundary wall built by 1847. 24 Limestone quarry face in two sections, continuing the line of SK 07964 78503 HER 29961 Quarry 4 southwards. Quarry probably established in early 1800s. 25 Two limestone quarry faces separated by a grassed mound. No SK 08039 78429 HER 29962 evidence of limekilns. Probably dates from early 1800s.
26 Western trackbed boundary in Dove Holes Dale, demarcating Peak SK 07973 78425 HER 29937 Forest Tramway trackbed from quarries. There is a freestanding wall of two distinct sections running south, and a short cross wall which veers westwards. The walls were built by 1847, but have been rebuilt in places. 27 Dove Holes Active Quarry, Peak Forest and Wormhill. Developed SK 08837 78163 HER 11663 from the early 19th-century Holderness Quarry. 28 Dry stone boundary wall, approximately one metre high, SK 07987 78525 HER 29936 constructed of irregular limestone blocks. The wall comes down to SK 08021 from Ridgeclose Farm as a boundary wall and through the quarry 78282 workings. 29 Single limestone quarry face. No evidence for limekilns. Extraction SK 07978 78375 HER 29963 probably began in the early 1800s. 30 Stile, Dove Holes, Peak Forest Tramway, Chapel en SK 08013 78255 HER 30904 Le Frith. 31 Lime sheds, Sidings and Junctions (site of), Dove Holes Dale, Peak SK 08016 78270 HER 29939 Forest Tramway.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 21
Site Description NGR Reference no 32 The Bull Ring henge, Dove Holes. Scheduled Ancient Monument SK 07848 78237 HER 3505 no.1011204. Class II henge, no surviving stones. Circular vallum with a ditch on the inner side enclosing a plateau which formed the site of a stone circle. Excavations in March 1949 produced bone, flint(mostly utilised waste flakes) and pottery in Beaker fabrics. Only the pottery provided any dating evidence. A report of 1902 refers to the finding of a human skeleton when quarrying was being carried out. Excavation by Alcock in 1946. Further excavations took place in March to April 1984 and in May 1985 by the southern entrance. These recovered only undated and post- medieval features, with re-deposited flints.
Scheduled Ancient Monument monitoring by the Hunter SK 07847 78240 HER 1648 Archaeological Society in March 2003. 33 A tramway branch from the Lime sheds sidings complex running SK 08021 78147 HER 29965 south and west past Quarry 9. An early branch of the Peak Forest Tramway, possibly active by 1798. 34 St Paul's Church, Hallsteads, Dove Holes. Built in 1878. SK 0770 7820 HER 30918
35 Bull Ring oval bowl barrow. Scheduled Ancient Monument SK 07805 78186 HER 3506 no.1011204. To the south-west of the Bull Ring henge. Also included is the bowl barrow superimposed on the western end of the oval barrow. The mound is currently sub-rectangular in plan but has had its edges severely truncated by ploughing. The original shape and size are unknown but its context and large size tempts comparisons with Gib Hill/Arbor Low. If correct, it may have been a long barrow with a round barrow superimposed. A slit trench was cut on the mound top in the 1939 to 1945 war. 36 Dove Holes Limestone Quarry (site of), South of Dale Road. SK 07928 78100 HER 29964 Former limestone quarry, existing in 1847 and perhaps even by 1798, now infilled and landscaped. 37 Dove Holes Quarry Workings and Lime Ash Dumps (site of), Peak SK 07985 78045 HER 29969 Forest Tramway. Extraction probably began by 1798, and ceased early in the 19th century, as the 1879 OS map depicts mature trees on the area. Highly important as a unique surviving remnant of early Peak Forest Tramway limestone quarrying and lime burning, before the establishment of newer and larger kilns at Bugsworth Basin, and without later expansion. 38 Nineteenth-century gritstone milepost, without incised markings, SK 07618 79413 HER 29999 marking 19 miles from Ashton Junction. 39 Lime Ash Dumps, Dove Holes Dale. An area of large-scale dumping SK 07875 78096 HER 29970 of lime ash, carried via Bibbington's tramway from the large Perseverance Limeworks further down the dale, active post-1863 to the 1930s. The tramway was established by Samuel Bibbington in 1863 to link Perseverance Quarry to the new Buxton railway. 40 Tramway branch commences on an earth embankment with SK 08115 77845 HER 15938 retaining and boundary wall, descending from main Peak Forest Tramway trackbed at Dove Holes Dale to cross Dale Road into former Heathcott's Dove Holes Dale Quarry. Probably constructed in the early 1800s. 41 Tramway Branch, Limesheds to Dale Road, Peak Forest Tramway SK 08021 78147 HER 29967 (route of), Chapel-en-le-Frith. th 42 A 19 -century Primitive Methodist Chapel and burial ground, SK 0757 7782 HER 30906 Buxton Road, Dove Holes which is still a place of worship for Methodists. 43 Limekiln Pits and Lime Ash Mounds, South of Dale Road. Two SK 07665 77649 HER 29968 areas covered in early 17th-century limekiln pits and lime ash mounds.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20 ArcHeritage 22
Site Description NGR Reference no 44 Bibbington's Tramway (route of), Dove Holes Dale. Bibbington's SK 08013 77792 HER 15934 tramway carried lime ash from the Perseverance Works, active from 1840 to the late 1930s. Established by Samuel Bibbington in 1863 to link Perseverance Quarry to the new Buxton railway. 45 Row of Cottages (site of), Dale Road. Row of cottages now SK 08227 77767 HER 15939 demolished. They may have been Peak Forest Tramway dwellings, or quarry-owned dwellings for kiln workers. Built before 1879. A series of quarries associated with the Peak Forest tramway. Dove Holes Quarry 9. The longest of the three upper Dove Holes Dale quarry faces, Quarry 9 was begun probably in the late 1790s and was still active and showed development between 1879 and 1898. 46 Dove Holes Quarry Workings and Lime Ash Dumps (site of), Peak SK 07857 77655 HER 29966 Forest Tramway. Extraction probably began by 1798, and ceased early in the 19th century, as the 1879 OS map depicts mature trees on the area. Highly important as a unique surviving remnant of early Peak Forest Tramway limestone quarrying and lime burning, before the establishment of newer and larger kilns at Bugsworth Basin, and without later expansion.
Hallsteads, Dove Holes ArcHeritage Desk-based Assessment Report No 2013/20
ArcHeritage 54 Campo Lane Sh effi eld S1 2 EG
T: 0114 2728884 F: 0114 3279793 www.archeritage.co.uk