Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Stones in Field near Bidston Village

i was thinking, is it some sort of ancient farming method. Or could it be some sort of ceremonial thing facing in a certain direction....it'll probably end up being something really mundane like to mark the position of the sewers or something lol

http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/mpp/mcd/sa.htm

Could this be our stones

The stones were set in lines running north-south. I might try to actually plot them on a modern map, now that I have photocopies from the old maps at the library.

Good golly - I think that's what they are!! Nice one Oon!

"1 Definition
A stone alignment comprises a single line, or two or more roughly parallel lines, of upright stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes. The number and size of stones in known alignments varies greatly, but the minimum number of stones required to form an alignment is three. The word alignment here refers to the juxtapositioning of the stones forming the monument itself rather than to any supposed or observed orientation on other monuments and/or topographical features.

A stone alignment can be distinguished from certain types of avenue by virtue of its relative straightness, and from a pair of standing stones by the greater number of uprights required to form an alignment. Field boundaries and other features formed of upright slabs may, however, sometimes be confused with stone alignments, but in most cases such monuments can be distinguished because of their relatively recent date of construction."

I wonder if English Heritage have a record of them even though they are not there any more?

Wow this is really exciting!! As an example of monuments these stone rows are rare. Even rarer on lower ground.

Trouble is where are they now?

In someone's garden wall lol

I have searched through a number of databases of stone lines in the uk and NONE of them have similar quantities and distances (particularly distance between the lines) of those at Bidston, I was especially trying to tie it to Viking or Neolithic. I never have much luck finding out what the Romans did on the Wirral there must be quite a bit of documentation somewhere but well hidden (or I am just blind).

I still think you are on to something big, though it may be quite surprising.

I have also been trying to check copies of William Davis's paintings because he did a number around Bidston in the 1850s ... it may be worth checking other artists, there were many and some will have been guided to Bidston by Davis's work.

I am wondering if that area would not be too interesting as it was farmland and tithe map of 1842 says oats were grown on it. So its possible stones would not show when crops were high. Have been looking at stone rows on Dartmoor - trying to imagine what our Bidston stone rows would have looked like - quite extensive.

Here's an interesting article about Dartmoor stone rows:
http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/stone_rows.htm

Interesting idea that there might be sockets filled in that might yield something about when they were filled in. Als the idea of pollen analysis to establish what grew around them, though if this was arable land it would have been churned up repeatedly so may not show anything. I wonder if geophys would pick up sockets?

Note that left row is to the right of the Fender and left of the M53.
Note also that the course of the drainage in the field has changed very little since the C19th maps.

M ight be worth a scout around that field then, see if anything remains. Maybe even move some of the topsoil when no ones around. I find if you stick in a high vis jacket and hold a clip board, no one will question you anyway.

I sound like a burglar dont i ?

In 1992 Liverpool Museum did an evaluation of this area - so it may be worth getting in touch with them.

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=EHNMR-1316354

Hope this helps.

Hi guys, the maps are the key to indicating the age of this site. They appear on the OS maps, but are not on either the earlier Tithe maps, or the 1665 Kingsland Estate Maps...significantly, this latter map detailed a number of other geological features such as the cave in bidston and further landmarks and boundaries. This points to there being no stone rows at this time.

As a further bit of evidence, the area now occupies a low lying part of Wirral that was likely to have been under water in the EMA, so would not have been anywhere suitable for the siting of stones.

Someone mentioned geophysics....yes a resistivity survey would show up any post hole type features, but would not give a date for the stones, and excavation would most likely to prove pointless as the archaeological context of the area would have been disturbed by agricultural activity.

My thoughts were first that it may have been a maritime feature if the area was flooded, but the maps disprove an early date for the stones, so I'm thinking it may have something to do with the observatory perhaps, as a visible set of measured markers would have been a means of measuring astronomical movements.....only a shot in the dark, but a calculated one!

Cheers guys.

The cave in Bidston?

Yes, it's a big fat cave in a field called 'cave plantation' on the tithe maps, you can see it if you drive down Lennox Lane!

I've got a photo of it here, uploading for u now