Site record MDR23270 - Site of Sheepfold, Northwest of Crowden, Tintwistle

Former site of sheepfold, northwest of Crowden, Tintwistle, of late 19th century date. A small complex of structures is shown on the 1st edition 25" OS map of 1875 (Cheshire) and the 1st edition 25" OS map of 1880 (Derbyshire), labelled 'Sheepfold.' The complex was comprised of a roughly rectangular building or structure, oriented southwest - northeast, and south of this, a small squarish building or structure. By the time of the 2nd edition 25" OS map of 1897 the larger, northern rectangular structure had apparently been separated into three rooms or areas, and the square building just south was still standing. It is still shown in this configuration on the 3rd edition 25" OS map of 1909. It appears that these structures had been demolished by the time of OS mapping dating to 1947 (1). The condition of the site was observed in 2020, and the remains of the larger rectangular building were described as approximately 25m by 5m, with the remnants of dry stone walls still present, one worked into an extant field boundary. The remains of the squarish structure just south was 'composed of unbonded dressed semi-regular gritstone wall with irregular/semiregular stones packed interior. ...approximately 3m by 2m. With vertical walls approximately 1m in height.' A series of earthenware pipes were reported, in addition to '...one glazed red pottery unstratified fragment: stippled domestic ware of late 19th [to] early 20th century.' (1)