Editing Werneth Low (section)

==History==
A flint knife and a [[Bronze Age]] stone [[Mace (bludgeon)|mace]] head have been discovered on Werneth Low.<ref>Nevell (1992), p.&nbsp;38.</ref> Hangingbank is the site of a possible [[Iron Age]] farmstead dating to the first millennium BC, enclosed by a double ditch and featuring crop marks.<ref>Nevell (1992), p.&nbsp;51.</ref> A [[Roman road]] from [[Melandra]] to Astbury probably crosses the hill, however the exact course has not been identified.<ref>Nevell (1992), pp.&nbsp;60–61.</ref> The site covers {{convert|1.23|ha|acre}}.<ref name="nevell68">Nevell (1992), p.&nbsp;68.</ref> There is also evidence of [[Roman Britain|Romano-British]] activity on Werneth Low; a sherd of Roman pottery dating to the 2nd century AD was discovered in the material filling one of the ditches at Hangingbank, indicating that was when the site fell out of use.<ref name="nevell68"/> There is a possible temporary Roman camp and excavations have recovered a [[posthole]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Monument no. 1085608 |url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1085608 |publisher=Pastscape.org.uk |access-date=26 May 2008}}</ref> The name Werneth derives from the Welsh ''verno'' for [[alder]] meaning 'the place where alders grow'.<ref>Nevell (1992), p.&nbsp;85.</ref>

The [[Higham (surname)|Higham]] family owned the land from at least 1330 and it is from them that the upper and lower Higham Farms take their name.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tameside.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s83703/ITEM%207%20-%20Annual%20Report%202019-20.pdf |title=Werneth Low Country Park: Annual Report 2019/2020 |date=June 2020 |first=David |last=Cannon |publisher=Tameside Borough Council |access-date=23 October 2024}}</ref> In 1920, Lower Higham Farm and all of its land was purchased by the War Memorial Committee of the Hyde Borough Council and, in 1921, [[Hyde, Greater Manchester|Hyde]]'s main war memorial was officially unveiled. Being dedicated to remembering and being diligent about the 710 men who lost their lives for Hyde's wellbeing.<ref name="tameside.gov">{{cite web |title=Werneth Low Country Park |url=http://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/werneth.htm |publisher=Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220128/https://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/werneth.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref> A [[Royal Observer Corps]] monitoring post was active here from 1962 to 1968,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyde |url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/cgi-bin/webdata_roc.pl?fid=988264180&query=pagenum%3D1%26cgifunction%3DSearch%26County%3DCheshire&cgifunction=form |publisher=Subterranea Britannica |access-date=25 May 2008}}</ref> which was intended to give warning of hostile aircraft and nuclear attacks on the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monument no. 1414423 |url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1414423 |publisher=Pastscape.org.uk |access-date=26 May 2008}}</ref> In the late 1980s, [[Greater Manchester Council]], Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and the Hyde War Memorial Trust worked together to establish Werneth Low [[country park]], which covers {{convert|80|ha|acre}}; the park was officially opened in 1980.<ref name="tameside.gov"/>