Collyhurst Hall Evaluation

Collyhurst Hall Evaluation, 27th May 2016

Detail from William Green’s ‘A Plan of Manchester and Salford 1794’ showing the Collyhurst Hall Estate

Geophysics

A geophysicist is someone who studies the earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods. Keith and his team from Tameside Archaeological Society carried out a survey on the site of Collyhurst Hall with help from the MCA Young Archaeologists and the children from Collyhurst Sure Start Nursery School and Children’s Centre.

When going back into the classroom after visiting the archaeologists, the children from Sure Start were asked, ‘what did the machine do’? Romeo said ‘beep’. When asked why it beeped, he said, ‘it’s looking for something’. Asked if he knew what it was looking for? Romeo replied ‘the house’.

The Results The results of geophysical surveys are produced in greyscale with anomalies or archaeological features shown as darker lines.

The promising survey results (left) show a dark line down the right hand side which is where the hall is located.

Geophysicist Keith puts members of MCA Young Archaeologists to work

Collyhurst Hall

This is a modern Ordnance Survey map on which a detail from the Collyhurst Hall estate has been superimposed. Collyhurst Hall is located in the centre of the playing field. Two unidentified rectangular structures are also present, one partly, which we are also investigating. The large curved feature is a moat.

Local History We don't know when exactly when the first Collyhurst Hall was built but there was a hall on the site from at least the early 1600’s when it was owned by members of the Mosley family. It is likely the hall is older but as yet we have no evidence. This is one question we hope to resolve.

Collyhurst Hall was demolished in 1831. The last resident was a wealthy cotton manufacturer, a Mr Charles Ryder Esq, after whom, Ryder Street was named. He was also the owner of a cotton mill on Collyhurst Street.

Mr Power supervising Dig Manchester children at Moston Hall in 2004

Archaeology Archaeology is the study of past human societies through the investigation of material remains or culture. One of the ways we do this is through excavation.

This can range from the tiniest fragment of a pot or piece of worked flint found in a ploughed up field, to the buried remains of an impressive substantial Georgian building such as Collyhurst Hall.

The only depiction of Collyhurst Hall taken from the Ryder Estate map,1831. Two ornamental bridges can be seen spanning the moat

Test Pitting A team of archaeologists and volunteers led by Vicky from the Centre of Applied Archaeology, University of Salford, and MCA’s Community Archaeologist Mr Power are today digging a series of 1 m x 1 m test pits to establish the presence and depth of below surface archaeology.

Location of test pits (red) and trenches (green) to be opened in June

Community Involvement The archaeologists will use the information from the geophysical survey to help them to locate Collyhurst Hall and any associated structures in this evaluation.

We will dig a series of test pits and this will then be followed by a full scale community excavation where everyone from MCA will be welcome to take part. This is due to begin on 27th June and last until 15th July. We will then host an Open Day 16th July which will be open to everyone!

You can follow our progress on the MCA website. If you would like more information on this project contact Kieran Power, MCA Community Archaeologist, 0161 202 0161, or email k.power@mca.manchester.sch.uk Volunteers should contact Vicky Nash, Senior Archaeologist, Centre for Applied Archaeology, 0161 295 4009, or email v.nash@salford.ac.uk

Digging Archaeology, Loving Music, Making History, Collyhurst Hall Open Day 16 July, 2016