Reasons for Designation
Beacons were fires deliberately lit to give a warning, by means of smoke by
day and flame by night, of the approach of hostile forces. They were always
sited in prominent positions, usually as part of a group, chain or line which
together made up a comprehensive early warning system covering most of the
country.
Beacons were extensively used during the medieval period. Their use was
formalised by 1325 and although some were used later, for example at the time
of Monmouth's Rebellion in 1685 or during the Napoleonic wars, the system was
in decay by the mid-17th century.
Beacons were initially bonfires of wood or furze, but later barrels of pitch
or iron fire baskets mounted on poles were used. The poles were occasionally
set on earthen mounds. Access to the fire basket was by way of rungs set in
the pole, or by a stone ladder set against the beacon. More unusual beacon
types include stone enclosures and towers, mainly found in the north and south
west of England. Some beacon sites utilised existing buildings such as church
towers.
Beacons were built throughout England, with the greatest density along the
south coast and the border with Scotland. Although approximately 500 are
recorded nationally, few survive in the form of visible remains. Many sites
are only known from place-name evidence. Given the rarity of recorded
examples, all positively identified beacons with significant surviving
archaeological remains are considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a stone-built beacon
platform on the summit of Beacon Hill, Alderley Edge. The earthen mound on
which it has been constructed is considered to have been a bowl barrow of
Bronze Age date. This barrow mound is large and may have been augmented when
the beacon was constructed on the summit.
The mound is of earth with some stone incorporated in the structure. It stands
approximately 3m above ground level and is 25m wide at the base. The top of
the mound was levelled for the foundations of a stone building to support the
beacon with its fire basket and to store material such as pitch for the fire
itself. This building was constructed in the 16th century and restored in 1799
on the foundations of the original building. The beacon building was blown
down in 1931 and today only the foundations survive. These foundations are now
visible as ashlar sandstone blocks, some bonded, at the apex of the mound and
scattered around the base of the mound in the undergrowth. On the summit a
memorial of stone has been erected. This is in the form of an altar-shaped
table measuring 1.10m by 0.40m and standing 0.8m high. This has been built of
ashlar blocks almost certainly reused from the original 1779 restored
building on the site. Set into the top is a metal plaque which reads `SITE OF
ARMADA BEACON THIS RECORD IS THE GIFT OF A FRIEND OF ALDERLEY EDGE NOW IN
CALIFORNIA 1961'.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
33858
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
