Monument record MDR10062 - Staddle post, Mill Green, Staveley

The top of a sandstone post was revealed when flood water from the Chesterfield Canal washed overburden into the River Rother in October 2004. Excavations were undertaken down to the old ground surface. The post was found to stand 54cm above the old ground surface, with its top 110cm below the present ground surface. It measured 30cm x 23cm at the base, tapering to c. 15cm x 18cm at the top. It was interpreted as being a staddle post for a hay or straw stack stand and may have originally been topped by a round mushroom-shaped stone. A framework of wood or iron would have been placed on top of a number of the stone supports to carry the stack, so detering vermin and keeping the stack base dry. The site is near to the site of a water mill (SMR 13014) and stables for canal horses. The overburden was found to contain foundry sand, iron slag with iron splash and glass waste from a factory that was on the site of the stables. (1)