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<< Our Photo Pages >> Mellor Hillfort - Hillfort in England in Greater Manchester

Submitted by vicky on Thursday, 30 August 2007  Page Views: 23103

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Mellor Hillfort
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 1.417 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Greater Manchester Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Stockport  Nearest Village: Mellor
Map Ref: SJ982889  Landranger Map Number: 109
Latitude: 53.396926N  Longitude: 2.028534W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 2 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 3

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Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : The one third-scale constructed round house at the Mellor Iron Age hillfort site. Students from the nearby college built the structure which as it turns could well be located close to the location of the original round houses. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Greater Manchester (Stockport). Being excavated by Manchester University.

The village of Mellor, originally in Cheshire but now part of Stockport in Greater Manchester, lies on the fringes of the Peaks of Derbyshire. In the area of St Thomas’ Church the land rises up to 222m (728ft) above sea level, and it is here that the remains of a hillfort have been discovered.

Evidence for early settlement in the area came to light during the drought of 1995, when photographs taken by local historians, John and Ann Hearle, in the gardens and fields surrounding their home, the Old Vicarage in Mellor, showed cropmarks on the lawn.

Excavations by Manchester University Archaeological Unit have revealed a spectacular hillfort with evidence of Iron Age structures in the interior as well as a Mesolithic camping area.

See also our page on the latest Open Day, and the Open Day Home Pages from 2002 and 2003.

For further information see "Prehistoric Cheshire" by V & P Morgan, Landmark Publishing (2004).

Note: Listen to the BBC Radio 4 Programme about the Mellor dig. Link may not be active for long. See comments on latest discoveries at the site.
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Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : A view of the recently excavated (September 2003) outer ditch of the hillfort located in trench T10. The dark band shows how the ditch silted up. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : An enigmatic line of stones on the inside of the mian ditch. It is believed the stones were used to strengthen a defensive fenceline. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : A view of the main Iron Age defensive ditch. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : Another view of the roundhouse discovered in 2004. The 2003 roundhouse is located beyond the walls. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : In 2004 another roundhouse was located close to 2003's. In the foreground you can make out the circular ditches (three in total) which show a possible multiphase development of the structure. In the background is the reconstruction of a roundhouse made by archaeology students from Ridge Danyers College in Marple.

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : This is the excavation of one of the smaller ditches outside the main ditch. The line of the ditch has been traced in previous years (both by excavation and geophysics) and if you look closely you can see red and white tape dotted in the field marking the line of the ditch. On the skyline is a large clump of trees - in the wood is Brown Low at SJ988909. (4 comments)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : Extending the period of occupation back further at Mellor these Mesolithic flints have also been discovered. (1 comment)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : The undoubted highlight of the 2004 season was the discovery of this fabulous flint dagger or spear head. (1 comment)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : In 2003 a roundhouse was discovered under the lawn. Here the red and white tape marks the arc of the excavated ditch.

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : Across the Mellor site possibly the most common finds are pot boilers - stones used to heat water. The stones were placed in the fires to be heated then removed and put into pots to boil water and stews.

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : The rock cut pit uncovered during excavations close to the main ditch to the west of The Old Vicarage.

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by vicky : The recently discovered hillfort at Mellor in Stockport. (1 comment)

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : Another trench located in the garden of The Old Vicarage. At the bottom are the post holes for a round house and the dark soil at the top marks the line of the drip trench.

Mellor Hillfort
Mellor Hillfort submitted by PaulM : This is one of the trenches located within the grounds The Old Vicarage. It contains part of a round house's 'drip trench'. Mesolithic flint flakes were found in 2002 close to this trench.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.7km SSE 164° Mellor Moor* Cairn (SJ9867187246)
 2.1km NNE 17° Brown Low* Round Barrow(s) (SJ988909)
 2.5km ENE 74° Ringstones (Derbyshire)* Stone Circle (SK006896)
 2.5km NNE 18° Ludworth Intake* Round Barrow(s) (SJ98989131)
 3.1km ENE 61° Ringstones (new circle at Near Slack Farm)* Modern Stone Circle etc (SK0087290394)
 3.2km NE 50° Robin Hood's Picking Rods* Ancient Cross (SK0060990941)
 3.2km NE 51° Chisworth Cupmarked stone* Rock Art (SK007909)
 4.2km NNW 342° Werneth Low Cairn Cairn (SJ969929)
 4.4km NNW 345° Werneth Low Enclosure Ancient Village or Settlement (SJ97099315)
 4.4km WNW 288° St Chad's Well (Chadkirk)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SJ93979027)
 4.5km NNW 330° Werneth Low (Hyde) Ancient Village or Settlement (SJ959928)
 4.5km S 190° St Mary (Disley)* Ancient Cross (SJ97388444)
 4.9km NE 52° Coombes Edge* Ring Cairn (SK0204591892)
 4.9km NNW 339° Hangingbank, Werneth Low* Ancient Village or Settlement (SJ96479352)
 5.1km NNW 335° Lower Higham Farm Cairn (SJ961935)
 5.2km NE 35° Hargate Hill* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SK01239315)
 6.2km ESE 111° Watery Hey Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SK0399986733)
 6.5km ESE 110° Whitworth Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SK0437786691)
 6.8km SSW 195° Lyme Park* Ancient Cross (SJ96458235)
 7.1km SSE 165° Ringstone (Whaley Bridge) Stone Circle (SK000820)
 7.3km S 169° The Dipping Stone* Ancient Cross (SJ99558171)
 7.4km SSW 196° Knights Low NW Round Barrow(s) (SJ962818)
 7.4km ESE 103° Upper Dole Field Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SK054872)
 7.4km SSW 193° Knightslow Wood W* Round Barrow(s) (SJ965817)
 7.4km SSW 193° Knightslow Wood E Round Barrow(s) (SJ965817)
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"Mellor Hillfort" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Re: Mellor by Sunny100 on Thursday, 31 August 2017
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Was or is this site confused with Mellor near Preston, I just wondered?
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Mellor by Anne T on Thursday, 31 August 2017
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    Hi, Sunny100,
    Yes it looks like it has been confused with a church in Preston, but I've not had chance to check - knowing there's a Mellor near Preston is a huge help. Are you able to create a separate page for the church? If so, I'll move the photos across. If not, I'll log on over the weekend and add it.
    Many thanks and your input much appreciated. Anne T.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Mellor by Sunny100 on Thursday, 31 August 2017
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    Well maybe not a church in Preston, but an earthwork near Mellor Brook, that might have been confused with Mellor near Stockport. I don't have any info on the Mellor Brook earthwork/mound. I can't really help with what you suggest as I'm doing my own blog/website and this takes much of my time up now. But maybe in the future I can add sites from my own site, although I don't know whether Andy would allow that?
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Mellor by Anne T on Tuesday, 29 August 2017
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Now changed so that Mellor Brow Mound and Mellor Moor don't display on this page. There are three photos: PID 46539, 17659 and 17660 that belong to St. Thomas's Church Mellor, but this needs a page creating and the pictures linking.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Rare find at leader’s fort by Anonymous on Sunday, 09 September 2007
The BBC radio link took me to a Christmas Carol singing programme!!????
[ Reply to This ]

Rare find at leader’s fort by coldrum on Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Rare find at leader’s fort

The discovery of a second entrance to a hill fort near Marple in Stockport, Cheshire, and Roman pottery and a flint dagger shows that the 2,500-year-old site was home to an important leader, archaeologists say. Mike Neville, of Manchester University archaeological unit, said: “It [the double entrance] is quite rare in a hill fort and would suggest whoever lived there was very important.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2351212.ece
[ Reply to This ]

The chieftain next door by coldrum on Thursday, 30 August 2007
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The chieftain next door

SHE always knew her `neighbours' were a bit special - but now Ann Hearle has a real VIP's residence almost in her garden. Experts investigating an Iron Age hill fort near Ann's house now believe it was once the home of a powerful chieftain.

And that just adds to the interest for amateur historian Ann, who led the way in finding out about those other `neighbours' who once lived on the ancient site. The latest discovery, of a second entrance to the 2,500-year-old structure in Mellor, near Marple in Stockport, has significantly elevated the site's historical importance.

Excavation work carried out by Manchester University over the summer has also yielded iron-age and Roman pottery as well as Elizabethan coins, signifying that the site has been continuously occupied for centuries. But Mike Neville, of the university archaeological unit, said that it was the discovery of the second entrance that convinced him of the fort's regional significance.

He said:...

Read the rest of this post...
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Re: Mellor by Anonymous on Wednesday, 21 September 2005
Interesting comment on population, who is the archaeologist who estimates it at 4.000?
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Mellor by Anonymous on Monday, 27 June 2005
The "hillfort" is a misnomer, as there is no evidence of any fortifications and the surrounding ditch - so narrow you could step across it - was likely not for defensive purposes. Unlike many Iron Age forts, there is no evidence of an earth wall on the inside of the ditch, to impede an attack and aid the defenders.

With a population now estimated by the archaeological team at perhaps at high as 4,000, it would have simply been too big and too undefendable to have been primarily militaristic. (It is also technically on a ridge, not a hill.) Most likely, this was a generalized settlement and the ditch was more to keep animals in or out. Archaeologists are now actively considering if it was some kind of trading center, as a number of the finds contain rocks and materials from all over the country.

It is also worth noting that the Stone Age settlement is within the same perimiter as the Iron Age one and that Roman artifacts indicative of individuals with high status have likewise

...

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