Skywatch Friday: Stockton Heath sundown

Sundown and moonrise over the canal at Stockton Heath in Cheshire.
See other sky views from around the world at Skywatch Friday: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 Excavations of the large Roman industrial settlement in the suburbs of modern day Wilderspool and Stockton Heath have produced a Roman mask, one of only a handful found in Europe. The first evidence of this settlement was unearthed during the early excavation of the Bridgewater canal in Stockton Heath in 1770. Evidence also points to a probable temple to Minerva on the site, a strong focus on pottery and glass bead paste making industries, and a trapezoidal building that may have been an auxiliary fort.

After the Romans' departure Stockton Heath reverted to a quiet backwater and remained just a small hamlet until the 19th century development of a larger village, which is now a conservation area. A family bearing the name Stockton lived in the area from the end of the 13th century until  the end of the 15th century.