Haycroft, Cheshire facts for kids

Haycroft is a fascinating place in Cheshire, England, where a deserted village from the Middle Ages once stood. Imagine a village that people just left behind! Today, you can still see clues of this old village and its farms from the air. This special spot is protected as a scheduled monument, which means it's an important historical site.

What is Haycroft?

Haycroft is not a village you can visit today, as it's a "deserted village." This means people used to live there a very long time ago, but then everyone moved away. It's located near a farm called Haycroft farm, in a part of Cheshire called Spurstow.

Discovering the Lost Village

How do we know there was a village here? People used special cameras on planes to take pictures from above. These "aerial photographs" showed interesting shapes on the ground. These shapes were actually the remains of old houses and farm fields from the Middle Ages.

Why is Haycroft Protected?

Haycroft is called a "scheduled monument." This is a special way the government protects important historical places. It means the site is very old and tells us a lot about how people lived in the past. Protecting it helps make sure these clues are safe for future generations to study.

Exploring the Old Village Site

The remains of the old village are found a little bit north-west of the modern village of Spurstow. Experts believe that the village of Spurstow might have shrunk over time, or even moved to a new spot. The old village of Haycroft was built in a valley that once had a small stream flowing through it.

What Can We See Today?

Even though the houses are gone, you can still see "earthworks." These are bumps and hollows in the ground that show where buildings and other features used to be. At Haycroft, there are six flat areas where houses once stood. Each of these house platforms is about 25 to 40 square metres in size. They are also surrounded by a small ditch, about 2 metres wide.

Farming in the Middle Ages

Next to where the houses were, you can see signs of old farms. These are called "ridge and furrow" patterns. Imagine a field that looks like a giant, wavy carpet, with long ridges and dips. This is how farmers ploughed their fields in the Middle Ages. They used this method to help water drain away and keep the soil healthy.

Old Roads and Pathways

A pathway, called a "causeway," runs straight through the site from north to south. This was built later than the village. The road that leads to Haycroft farm today is actually part of a much older road. This old road used to connect places like Ridley Green to Beeston.