More information : [SJ 5547 6925] The Chamber in the Forest. (1)
Merricks Hill or the Chamber.
[ruins of three buildings shown.] (2)
During his excavation of Eddisbury Hill [SJ 56 NE 1] Varley
uncovered the remains of a series of Mediaeval buildings on
Merrick's Hill, which had been connected with the administration
of the Forest of Delamere [SJ 56 SE 6]
The earliest datable finds are a culvert and wall of 14th century
date. [See AO/61/210/4 & 4] which may be connected with a two
storeyed chamber authorized in 1337 and probably built c.1354.
Two other buildings had been built in the 16th/17th century and
continued in domestic use until the early 18th century. These may
possibly be successors of a hunting lodge of the late 15th century.
The group of buildings is referred to in 1652 as the "Old Pale
Lodge, Eddisbury Lodge, or the Chamber in the Forest." (3)
Sandstone foundations of three buildings, situated at SJ 5544 6922
were surveyed. (4)
The 14th century culvert, 15.0m in length, mentioned by Varley,
was located and surveyed. (5)
No change since reports of 28.9.61 and 23.6.64. Published 1:2500
survey, 1970, correct. (6)
Sandstone foundations of 3 buildings excavated by Varley (authority 3)
were located in an area of scrub, covered by long grass and
brambles. The culvert excavated by Varley was also located. The area
was surveyed by RCHME at 1:1000 scale; plans and text held in the NMR.
No change to the detail portrayed on AM. (7)
In May 2000, English Heritage carried out a desk-top assessment and Level 1 survey of Old Pale Farm. No fieldwork was undertaken in the area of The Chamber in the Forest. The construction of the Chamber was authorised by Edward the Black Prince in 1337 and eventually built in 1354 to serve as a hunting lodge and administrative centre for the royal Forest of Delamere. The chamber was evidently disused as such or demolished by the mid 17thC, but the locale continued to be referred to on maps such as Burdett's (1777) and the OS 1-inch survey as The Chamber in the Forest (1840) as The Chamber in the Forest. The depositions referred to by Source 3 (Cheshire CRO: DAR/H/16), which were undertaken in 1652 to establish the exact site of the Chamber, concurred that it had lain 'upon the hill' ie within Castle Ditch hillfort. As described above, Varley's excavations of 1935-8 appeared to confirm this. The Chamber lay within a deer enclosure constructed in 1237, called The Old Pale (SJ 56 NW 15).
A written report and plans are available from the NMR archive. (8) |