This month I want to digress a little from the subject of nature to that of Archaeology.

You may have gathered from previous reports that I have an interest in the more historical aspect of the Greenheyes and have made finds of several small objects and such like.

A particular area which I suspected of have a story to tell was down along the the banks of the River Dane where it borders the Heifer Meadow.

Some time ago, back in a willow tree on the opposite bank fell across the river partially obstructing its course and forcing the water to flow into the bank along the Heifer meadow (click the link to see a report made at the time - November of 2003)

At the time I found this pot and some timbers which showed evidence of being worked by hand.

Needless to say, at the time when I suggested that there may have been some activity there, I was treated with a little skepticism.

However there is a saying that "every dog has its day" and behold I now have the evidence to prove that there is something there after all.

A recent heavy flow of the river has removed a further layer of sediment from the bank and river bed and revealed the presence of a wooden structure/s.

As these photographs show there is clearly a structure on the bed of the river.

It is not clear as to exactly what the structure actually was, one possibility forwarded by our local historian Brian Curzon, is that it could have been a fishing weir.

They were used to trap migratory fish such as salmon. This practice would have ended on the River Dane in 1732 with the opening of the River Weaver Navigation.

This was when the River Weaver was "canalized" in order to make it navigable for large salt barges. The canal locks making it impassible for the migratory fish trying to reach the River Dane.

This would make this structure at least 273yrs old. I have contacted Cheshire County Archaeology and they have said that they will check their records to see if it has been previously documented, but I have not heard anything from them since.

My main concern is that it will be destroyed before it can be evaluated and properly recorded.

STOP PRESS: Normally these reports are a month in arrears however today 18 Sept 05 I met with two lecturer's from Manchester Metropolitan University in connection with the above. Click here for details

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