Description and History of Site:-
Clougha is an expansive tract of Millstone Grit moorland with many surface outcrops of bedrock peppered across it especially between the 340m and 390m contours on the nw side of the summit. It is also grouse moor and the whole area is covered in dense heather making detailed examination difficult. Six millstone roughouts were logged - there could be others hiding away - of which four were early-stage roughouts and two seemingly ready for dispatch off the hill. Diameters range from 900mm to 1.65m, thicknesses from 200-230mm. Two have the eye partly cut through; one is still attached to its parent block but had been shaped on the circumference. The earliest reference to millstone working in the Forest of Quernmore is from 1313-14 when the annual income from sales for the Duchy of Lancaster was 6s; in 1346 only 1s and in 1441 nothing. In later times no references have been sourced.

Further Reading and References:-
Hudson, P. ' Old mills, gritstone quarries and millstone making in the Forest of Lancaster' Contrebis, 8, 1980, pp. 35-58.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol8/pp74-76
Johnson, D.S. 'Millstone and grindstone production in the Pennines and North-west England. A historical and archaeological survey. Industrial Archaeology Review, 44 (2), 2022, pp. 120-32.

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Key Words :- millstone production sites

Viewing the Site :- Open Access land

Address :- Quernmore, Lancaster, Lancashire
Grid Ref :- SD 544 600
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.033957 , Long -2.697699
Local Authority :- Lancaster City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Lancashire
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Earthworks only
Site Dates :- pre 1313-14 - unknown
Record Date :- 8 December 2022

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © David Johnson