The Chamber in the Forest

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle Ditch, Merrick's Hill

In the civil parish of Delamere. In the historic county of Cheshire (Modern Authority of Cheshire, 1974 county of Cheshire).

In 1337, Edward the Black Prince authorised the construction of a new chamber (ie hunting lodge) to serve as an administrative centre for the royal Forest of Delamere. This was eventually constructed circa 1354. The building was disused as such or demolished by the mid C17 but the locale continued to be known as The Chamber in the Forest until the mid C19. Deputations taken in 1652 to establish the exact site of the Chamber concurred that it had lain 'upon the hill' ie within Castle Ditch hillfort. Varley's excavations of 1935-8 exposed the remains of C14/C15 building, possibly of two storeys, which can still be seen on the surface. The current name Merrick's Hill seems to have been used from the late C17 onwards. (PastScape)
Not suggested as a fortified site by any source but as a hunting lodge in a Iron Age Hill fort is similar to some sites which are so suggested. See also Eddisbury Town defences (qv) as this site is suggested as the site of a C9 burghal fort.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ55446922

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 71157
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 837/1/2 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Cocroft, W.D. et al, 1989, 'Castle Ditch hillfort, Eddisbury, Cheshire, reconsidered : the excavations of 1935-38 in the light of recent field survey' in Bowden, M. et al (eds), From Cornwall to Caithness: some aspects of British field archaeology: papers presented to Norman V. Quinnell p129-35
    Dodgson, J.McN., 1970-1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire Vol3 p213
• Journal Articles
  • Hussain, B.M.C., 1955, 'Delamere Forest in Later Medieval Times,' Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire Vol107 p23-59
    Varley, W.J., 1950, Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society Vol102 p1-68
    Harrison, W., 1902, Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society Vol20 p1-28
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Oswald, Al, 2000, An archaeological assessment of Old Pale Farm, Delamere, Cheshire (English Heritage) [AI/1/2000]