More information : Site of Romano-British settlement at Eller Beck consisting of six groups of small enclosures (sites A-F) within perimeter walls, together with a well-preserved field system (see plan and air photographs). Enclosure 'C' at SD 6417 7806, built on an apparently artificially levelled platform, was excavated 1961/2; pottery finds extended from 2nd to 4th century AD. (1-3)
'C', at SD 6418 7810, comprises six major crofts and associated rectangular and circular huts. Excavation (authorities 1 and 2) revealed the dry stone walling construction to be similar to that visible in 'A' (SD 67 NW 58). It is now turfed over with a maximum height of 0.6m. There is a well defined entrance with flanking uprights. No domestic debris was found at the site of the excavation during perambulation.
The site is down to pasture. Surveyed on 1:2500 MSD (for 1:10,000 publication only). (4)
SD 64183 78104 (FCE). Complex 'C' is sub-rectangular in plan, with average measurements of 88m by 40m, surrounded by a stony bank on all sides except uphill towards the east which abuts against a steep natural scarp. Two cross banks effectively sub-divide the enclosure into three roughly equal compartments, which are themselves sub-divided by smaller banks and scarps to form authority 4's six crofts. There is no access between the three compartments; instead a trackway runs along the west side of the complex giving access to each of the compartments in turn. An additional entrance into the southernmost compartment from the south is flanked by uprights as described by authority 4; there is also a small sunken way leading up the steep natural scarp at the rear of the northernmost compartment. The complex may have more to do with stock-rearing than permanent settlement; the excavated circular hut is only a few metres across.
The enclosure is part of scheduled ancient monument Lancashire 136h (5a). It lies within unimproved pasture, and overall is in good condition. The outlines of the excavation trenches can still be made out on the ground.
Authorities 1, 2 and 4 have all assumed that a rectangular building immediately west of the enclosure is part of the same complex, but it has no physical connection, is of very different form, and is probably later (see SD 67 NW 80).
Transcribed from APs and/or surveyed at 1:2500 scale as part of the RCHME High Park/Cow Close Survey (feature SC7); also ground-modelled using GPS at 1:500 scale. See report (5b) and plans in the NMR for more details. (5)
Scheduled RSM Number 32848.
The six settlements are now recorded separately, the uids/NMR Numbers of the other five can be found under the 'Associations with other monuments' field.
(6)
An Iron Age/Roman settlement is visible as earthworks on air photographs and lidar, at SD 6418 7810. The settlement consists of a rectilinear enclosure, with a number of internal rectilinear sub-divisions. A hollow way is lodated to the south-west. An associated coaxial field system is recorded separately (UID 1109071). The enclosure appears to have had some early medieval re-use on at its western edge where early medieval buildings are located (UID 1574665). The features are extant on the latest 2009 lidar. (7-8) |