Mellor Dig

Yesterday we visited the Open Day at the Archaeological site at Mellor Church (known locally as simply "the Mellor Dig". Mellor is a village in- between Glossop and Marple. Mellor Church is sited strategically at the edge of Pennine foothills overlooking the Cheshire Plain. I have known the area all my life. I was brought up in Stockport and used to visit often in my youth, as it was - and still is - the first patch of really interesting Countryside as you head east out of Stockport.

In 1998 archaeologists discovered an Iron Age Hill Fort site centred on Mellor Church. It is the only hill-fort to have been found in the whole of the Greater Manchester area and consequently was a discovery of major archaeological significance. When you are at the site you wonder why it wasn't found earlier as it seems so obvious. The Fort dates from the Iron Age about 500 to 1000 Bc. It was also occupied in Roman times and evidence of flint tool working has been found that shows the site may have been used since 10,000 BC.

Anyway although the site has been investigated by archaeologists each year since 1998, it has only been open to the public for 2 days each year. It is a great day out for anyone remotely interested in this sort of thing. You are taken on a guided tour by one of the experts or volunteers and there is also a museum set up in the adjacent community centre. Here you can see the most important finds.

The find of the year last year was a Bronze Age Flint dagger, I sneaked a quick photo of it. To see this beautiful object just a few inches way behind a sheet of Perspex sent a shiver up my spine. It you want to visit yourself you will have to wait until next year. However a good deal of information can be found by visiting
the Mellor Old Vicarage Archaeological Dig Website.