More information : [SJ 4143 6279] TUMULUS [O.E.] (1)
"At the E. end of Eccleston Church there is a mound about nine feet high, and 42 feet in diameter at the base, which is probably either a botontinus or a road side exploratory mount, but it has never been examined, except that some 35 years since it was reduced in height, and the material then obtained.. used to join an artifical bank by its side. The present sexton helped to remove the soil and asserts that no discoveries were made on this occasion" (2)
"Below the [Eccleston] church, in one of the glebe fields, was formerly a tumulus (adjoining a bath) the site of which is now planted with trees. It stood on the Roman road which runs from Chester to the Iron Bridge over the Dee. The tumulus was opened .... about a century ago, and a great quantity of human bones and some say, coins were discovered" (3)
Barrow at Eccleston [listed - quotes Authority 3]. (4)
An elongated, irregularly shaped mound measuring 15.0m N-S and 10.0m E.W. with a height of 2.5m. Badly mutilated on the east side, the mound is grass covered and tree planted. Its situation on high ground overlooking the river is indicative of a Bronze Age origin and before the mutilation on the east side was probably circular in shape. On the N. and W. side of the mound is a bank, presumably that referred to in Authority 2. There are no traces of a ditch apart from that formed by this bank. The Church referred to in the topographical description (Authority 3) is that which existed before the present building was erected to the S.W. (See SJ 46 SW 7). No trace is visible of the 'bath' referred to in Authority 3. The Ro. coin hoard is referred to in Authority 3 as being found "close to" the mound and can therefore not be directly associated with it. The present location of these coins was not ascertained. There is no trace of a Roman road near the mound (Authority 3 refers.) Its probable course lay approx. 260.0m to the west (see 6"). (5)
W.T. Watkins evidently went to some trouble to check the veracity of Ormerod's report of human bones having been found in this mound and in the process of his research he proved that nothing had been discovered during the excavations of c.1851. The mound which now measures 20.0m N.S. and 18.0m E-W is 2.5m high and is steep-sided. Only the south and east sides have been mutilated and the spoil-bank referred to by Watkins can clearly be identified extending away to the south. On the north side is a 9.0m wide and 1.0m deep ditch. It curves away from the mound to the south west as a scarp and it seems probable that the mound was raised partially from soil removed from the ditch and partially from soil obtained as the result of a general lowering of the ground to the south-west. See stero pair AO/59/84/1 &2 and A0/59/84/6 &7 for views of ditch, mound and scarp taken from the south-west. In the north-east the ditch is blocked by a slight bank and to the north-west there is a 0.4m high outer scarp which has been created either by scarping the slight hill-side or by the addition of soil to the outer side of the ditch. In any event these features are an integral part of the earthwork and are not the result of mutilation. See stereo pair A0/59/84/3 &4 for the bank blocking the ditch - taken from the east. The earthwork is set into the angle of a fairly steep natural scarp extending to the south, where it averages 3.0m high, and to the west where it is up to 4.0m high. The scarping of the hillside, though weak, and the digging of the ditch, though obviously incomplete, appear to be designed to strengthen the natural defences. The features have been re-surveyed on 25" AM. Whatever the purpose of the earthwork is, it does not appear to be sepulchral. The type of ditch and the steepness of the mound are very similar to those of a small motte as is its topographical situation. It is certainly not a B.A. barrow. The site is grass covered and partially tree planted. No trace of masonry was found. It is in proximity to the site of a Church whose list of rectors have been traced back as far as 1304. Tithe maps were not available. (6)
On a map of 1721 the field is named 'Barne Croft'. (7)
"..I see no reason why it should not be a barrow, though whether prehistoric or later I suppose only excavations would tell. It seems too small to be a motte, though the traces of banks and ditches near it are rather curious. .... the most important [reference] is the statement in Ormerod's History of Cheshire that it was opened and'a great quantity of human bones ..were discovered'. [In reply to a letter not expressing opinion]. (8)
Published survey (25" 1960) checked and found correct. (9)
Scheduled round barrow. (10)
Not a round barrow, but from the situation and related earthworks to N and W, possibly a mutilated, small motte. No change since reports of 11.11.54, 18.9.59 and 16.7.64. Published 1:2500 survey, 1960, still correct. (11)
(SJ 41436279) Earthwork (NR) (12)
SJ 414628. Round barrow E of Rectory. Scheduled, Cheshire 69. (13)
The mound lies at about 20m above OD on a natural knoll above the west side of the Dee valley. It is 2.5m high and 15m-20m in diameter, although much mutilated by disturbances which can all be identified as modern. Two lengths of slight bank and ditch run away east from the mound. These are of very similar character, and together with additional small scarps around the base of the west side of the mound probably formed a horseshoe-shaped area open to the east, probably a tree-stand incorporating the mound. The banks are cut by very slight drain-like features, which appear to coincide with boundaries shown on an estate map of 1798 (14a). Authority 6's ditch north-west of the mound is suggested by a sinuous, spread, south-west facing scarp, but a low backscarp and traces of ridge and furrow beyond suggest this scarp is a plough headland. The mound's date and function remain uncertain. It displays none of the particular characteristics that would enable it to be identified as a post-mill mound, garden prospect mount or ice house, although such distinctive features could be missing on account of the modern disturbance. In the early 19th century it was evidently felt to be an ancient feature. However, its size, lack of ditch, and topographical position militate against it being a motte. If the report (authority 3) of finding coins in the mound is accurate, it should be Roman or post-Roman in date. Likewise if authority 3's report of human bones from the mound is accurate this would support a funerary function, although it could also indicate that the mound was scraped up from ground that had already been used as a cemetery. In view of the proximity of the old church, such a cemetery might easily be early Christian. The mound has recently been suggested to be a Civil War mount or fieldwork (14b). The site was surveyed at 1:500 scale by R Wilson-North and D MacKay of RCHME in December 1985. The above description summarises a descriptive text deposited with the plan and other archive in the NMR. (14)
SJ 4142 6277. Motte and associated earthworks E of Old Rectory. Scheduled RSM No 22591. (15)
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