The Cloud

Photo by Gary Tacagni

One of the meanings of the word Cloud is thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old English word ” Clud”, meaning a mass of rock, there again there is another possibility as the Welsh word for earthworks is “Clawd” pronounced “Clowdd”, it is possible that this word is Celtic and refers to the British fort that used to exist on this hill. I have also heard the use of the word cloud as meaning high place, so the real meaning of the word is debatable.

This hill would have at one time looked over the sea, as the Cheshire plain would have been under water thousands of years ago, this hill would have been one of the high places in the area which would have remained above sea level.

The hill contains many different types of grit, shale and felspar, etc which gives it many different shades of colour, and with the many different plants and flowers such as purple heather, bluebells, whinberry and yellow gorse, which gave Gosberry lane which runs alongside the Cloud its name, all these things make it a very colourful place.

The various types of people who have inhabited the Cloud over many thousands of years are thought to have firstly been the “Battle Axe people” of early Nordic strain, who spread to the west from the Caspian sea area, and who built the “Bridestones” (a megalithic monument close by) 4000 years ago.

The second type of people who were said to have inhabited the Cloud were known as the” Beaker people”, they came from the Rhineland and settled on the North Staffordshire moorlands and also the Peak district, these people were known as “the Armenoid race”.

Thirdly the Goidals or Gaels arrived in 1100 BC, before they eventually moved on to Ireland and Scotland, and it was probably these people who were responsible for building the fort that used to exist on the Cloud.

Fourthly the Brythons or ancient Britons settled on the Cloud, and have left ample evidence of there existence from the many place names that can be linked back to them.

Finally about 100BC came the Celts also know as the Belgae, an iron using people, whether they actually reached the Cloud has yet to be determined for sure. It has been speculated that human sacrifice took place at one time on the Cloud, this may have occurred above an area known as the Catstones, at a certain time of the day, and if the sun is shining at the correct angle a cats face may be perceived amongst the stones, it is thought the sacrifices would have been made to the Goddess Cathar. These stones are to be found at the rear of Catstones House on the Cloud side, they are on private property so permission would be needed.

Photo by Gary Tacagni.

This is a view looking across the Cheshire plain taken from the top of the Cloud which is about 1200ft above sea level.