Archaeologist concerned about Rooley Moor wind farm

Archaeologist Stuart Mendelsohn is concerned about the plans to build a wind farm on Rooley Moor due to there being prehistoric settlements in the area.

Stuart has visited the sites with a number of archaeological experts including representatives from the British Geological Survey and Natural England.

Visits to the site have found it could be a man made site with others thinking that the stones on do not appear to be random.

Stuart said: “I have tried to get the many archaeological sites in the area of the proposed Rooley Moor wind farm registered in some way. There are a surprising amount of sites on Rooley Moor.”

Stuart believes that the site is part of an archeological site based on a number of factors:

• A ruined manor house (Naden Head) would normally be on the sites and monuments record. The English Heritage officer who visited the area confirmed the site, the earthworks and walls in the area of Naden Head. 
• The history of the moorland area is the opposite of what you would expect. The area has a surprisingly large number of medieval charters referring to the area with an English Heritage expert believing that there are nearly 100 in the Coucher Book of Whalley Abbey alone. 
• Minor names around Rooley Moor (originally called Shaw Moor) such as Withens, Naden, Prickshaw, Cowm, Bagden, Brandwood and Ding are all mentioned at least once in land transfers. 
• The area of Rooley Moor and Whitworth were dotted with many small farms in the medieval period as well as a small village at Whitworth. 

Stuart added: “What other part of England is so unexplored archaeologically and historically as this area?”

Coronation Power is planning to build a wind farm on Rooley Moor containing 17 wind turbines. If the plans go ahead, the wind farm could be built and in operation by autumn 2016.

A spokesperson for Coronation Power said: “The archeological sites at Rooley Moor have been accounted for within our proposed plans. All of our studies have accounted for the sites and our scoping report shows that the environmental assessment of the area will establish the archeological potential of the development site through the known cultural heritage assets.”