This is a top spot accessible from Wetton Mill (around a mile away) and the northern Manifold caves.Located on Ecton Hill which was mined for copper in the Bronze Age, several green stained bone and stone tools having been recovered from the area.
Mining took off in the 1700's and the hill is full of reminders from this busy period in its history.
Although there are no paths to the cave, it is pretty easy to find below a limestone crag
Excellent views out across Archford Moor and to the hills of Wetton and Narrowdale in the east.
Who knows which barrow this could now refer to? it is / was somewhere on Ecton Hill, so near this cave. But it gives a flavour of the folklore that such places inspire.
In the digging open a Low on Ecton hill near Warslow in this County, there were found mens bones as I was told of an extraordinary Size, which were preserved for some time by one Mr. Hamilton Vicar of Alstonfield; and I was inform'd of the like dugg up at Mare in the foundation of the Tower; but these being buryed again, or otherwise disposed of before I came there, I can say little to them.
From Robert Plot's 'Natural History of Staffordshire' of 1686 (hence all the italics.)
Excavated between 1985-90 by M & K Dalton the cave revealed the burials of 2 infants accompanied by pottery, flint scrapers, animal bones and a small copper axe.
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Posted by Rhiannon
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