Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2002

Report on the 2002 season of
archaeological excavation at Mellor.
Acknowledgements
The University of Manchester Archaeological Unit would like to thank the following people
and organisations whose support is a vital part of the continuing success of the excavations at
Mellor :-
The Heritage Lottery Fund, Local Heritage Initiative through the Countryside Agency and
Stockport Borough Council for their financial support of the project. The Mellor
Archaeological Trust for organising the open weekends and many other events which
publicise and disseminate the results of the excavations. The Friends of Mellor for their
support and commitment of time, energy and finances to the excavations and events. John and
Anne Hearle, Peter Hodgeson and Charlie Bowden for allowing excavations to take place on
their land. Norman Redhead the Assistant County Archaeologist for Greater Manchester for
his advice and guidance during the excavations. The Mellor Parish Centre for the use of their
facilities during the excavation. Paul Hudson Civil Engineering for the donation of machinery
to assist with the backfilling. Last but by no means least thanks are due to all the people who
volunteered on the excavation in 2002 and made it such a successful and enjoyable event.
University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 1

Non Technical Summary

During April 2002 17 test pits were excavated in the triangular shaped field (Area C) to the
east of the Old Vicarage at Mellor. The purpose of the test pits was to see if the layer of
boulder clay found in the Old Vicarage Garden during previous excavations extended into
this field. It was found that the boulder clay survived to varying degrees in all the test pits. In
addition one definite post hole was found and patches of a grey silt clay suggested the
presence of archaeological features in some of the other test pits.
Trench 16 was located in the Old Vicarage garden (Area A). It was positioned next to trench
3 which was excavated and back filled in 2000. The excavation of trench 16 revealed a series
of curvi-linear ditches which may represent drainage ditches surrounding an Iron Age round
house. These ditches appear to be the earliest phase of a series of linear features found within
trench 16. Some of these ditches were cut by two other linear features running east to west.
One was a stone lined gully very similar to a feature excavated in trench 3 during the 2000
season. The other appeared to be a gully designed to have a line of posts set in it rather than in
individual post holes. In the eastern half of trench 16 a number of post holes stake holes and
pits were excavated. Many of the post holes were easily distinguished by a dark grey fill and
the use of local sandstone as a packing material.
Due to the paucity of finds from the excavated features in trench 16 it was decided to obtain
Radio carbon dates for samples taken from two of the linear features. A sample from one of
the curvi linear ditches produced a date of between 380 BC and 520 BC. A second sample,
taken from the stone lined gully which cut the curvi linear ditch gave two date ranges of equal
probability one between 360 BC and 410 BC and the other between 240 BC and 280 BC.
Trench 17 was excavated in the field immediately to the north of the Old Vicarage. The
trench was located adjacent to foot of the wall separating the field from the garden. The
purpose of this trench was to excavate a section across the enclosure ditch in the field (Area
B) and to see if any evidence survived of a track way running into the field from the Old
Vicarage drive. While the surface of a c19th century cinder track was uncovered it was found
that quarrying had removed any evidence of the enclosure ditch at this location.
In January 2002 a geophysical survey was carried out at Mellor by Geoquest Associates.
Trench 18 was an evaluation trench located over a linear anomaly detected by the survey at
the east end of the Old Vicarage garden. Trench 18 confirmed the indications of the survey as
it revealed the west side of a large cut feature. The fills of this feature produced a quantity of
Roman pottery. The styles of the diagnostic sherds of pottery recovered from trench 18
predominated in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The size of trench 18 in relation to the feature
found within it made it impossible to interpret with any certainty. Trench 19 was excavated in
the same field as trench 17. It was located immediately to the west of trench 15 and was
designed to expand on the area of the enclosure ditch which was revealed in that trench.

Trench 19 was excavated to see if any evidence of a rampart could be found in association
with the ditch. Also it was hoped to learn more about the method in which the ditch was
originally excavated. As with all the other trenches across the enclosure ditch no evidence of
a rampart was found. Trench 19 did reveal the point at which the enclosure ditch changes
alignment and turns south west to head towards the Old Vicarage. It also seemed to confirm
the hypothesis suggested by trench 15 that the daunting task of cutting the enclosure ditch
through the bedrock was made easier by following natural bedding planes.
Trench 20 was a 3m by 3m trench designed to expand on the programme of test pitting. It was
located immediately to the south of test pit 24 which contained the post hole. The idea behind
it was to try to reveal a large enough area to discern the nature of the patches of grey silt clay
identified in some of the test pits. The trench revealed the limits of 5 patches of grey silt clay.
When excavated three of these proved to be stone packed post holes very similar to the one
found in test pit 24. There was also a larger circular feature which again had stones arranged
around its sides and one laid flat in the centre of its base. This may represent the position of a
larger timber upright, part of a circular structure with a circle of spaced smaller posts arranged
around it. The fifth feature was a shallow linear cut running north west to south east. It is too
soon to attempt any detailed interpretation of these features. However trench 20 was
successful in proving that the archaeology of the hilltop extends into this field. It is hoped that
further excavation will provide evidence as to the nature and date of the occupation in this
area.
Fig 1: Excavation of archaeological features in trench 16

In November 2002 a further geophysical survey was carried out in the south west quarter of
the field to the east of Area B. The purpose of this was to see if there was any indication of
the enclosure ditch continuing beyond Area B. The results of this survey together with the
identification of anomalies interpreted as possible ditch alignments from previous
magnetometer and ground penetrating radar surveys led to two trial trenches being excavated
in this field. Neither trench produced any evidence for the existence of the enclosure ditch
instead the geophysical anomalies appear to have been caused by changes in the geology.

1. Introduction
The presence of an Iron Age Hillfort at Mellor was first suggested in 1998 by Ann Hearle,
Chair of Marple Local History Society and Dr Peter Arrowsmith of the University of
Manchester Archaeological Unit. The suggestion was based on a photograph taken by Ann
Hearle of the field to the north of her house at the Old Vicarage during the summer of 1995.
The majority of the grass in the field had been bleached brown by the sun. However the
photograph showed a line of lush grass arcing across the field. It was felt that the line may be
following that of a filled in ditch. The less compact nature of the in fill of the ditch would
retain water and so better sustain the grass above it in times of drought.
The next step was a geophysical survey which confirmed the presence of a below ground
anomaly corresponding to the line of grass in the field and others in the garden of the Old
Vicarage itself. The excavation of evaluation trenches o the site started in the summer of 1998
(Fig 3). Trench 1, over one of the geophysical anomalies in the garden, revealed a large ditch
cut into the sandstone bedrock. In places this section of ditch was over 4m wide and 2.10m
deep. The top fills of this ditch contained fragments of Roman tile, pottery and glass. Lower
down the fills contained pottery and other artifacts dating from the Iron Age. The high
charcoal content of one of these fills near the base of the ditch meant that a sample could be
taken for radio carbon analysis. This sample produced a date of 430 BC + or - 140 years. A
section of the ditch was also found in the field.
Subsequent seasons of excavation strongly suggests that the ditch uncovered in trench 1 is
part of an enclosure ditch encompassing the hilltop at Mellor. Excavation has so far
concentrated on defining the extent of this ditch to the north and west of the Old Vicarage. In
2001 the excavation of trench 15 produced 125 sherds of pottery belonging to the same Iron
Age pot. These have now been conserved and the pot reconstructed.
The archaeology within the area enclosed by the ditch has not been neglected. In 1999 trench
3 was opened up in the centre of the Old Vicarage garden. In the eastern half of this trench the
sandstone bedrock was covered by a layer of boulder clay. Cut into this layer was a complex
pattern of post holes, ditches and gullies ranging in date from the Mesolithic period 5 to
10,000 years ago through to the Roman period.
In 1999 the Mellor Archaeological Trust was set up to develop funding for the excavations
and control the work. The Trust has had great success in raising funds from Heritage Lottery
grants and from revenue raised on open days and other events held during the year. In
addition the Trust has received generous financial assistance over the past four years from
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.
The excavations in 2002 were carried out entirely by volunteers under the supervision of two
archaeologists from the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit who are funded by the
Mellor Archaeological Trust.

2. The Physical Setting

The site is centred around National Grid Reference SJ 9818 8890. It lies in the parish of
Mellor, approximately six miles south east of the centre of Stockport.
Sheet 98 of the Geological Survey of Great Britain shows the solid geology to be Westphalian
A Sandstones from the Late Carboniferous Period. In places this is overlaid by Boulder Clay.
The site lies at the west end of a promontory of land c220m AOD. The promontory slopes
quite sharply to the south, west and north. To the east the promontory gently rises over a
distance of 900m to an unnamed summit at 278m AOD.
Fig 2: Site Location plan based on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000.

3 . Aims and Methodology

The main archaeological aim of the 2002 excavations was to try and develop our
understanding of the character of the archaeology within the enclosed area. In particular to try
and identify whether evidence survives for domestic structures. The main excavations took
place over an eight week period in August and September following a one week programme
of test pitting carried out in April.
Fig 3: Location plan showing areas of excavation 1995 to 2002.
3.1 Test Pits
The test pits measured 1m x 1m and 17 were excavated in a 10m grid pattern in a triangular
shaped field (area C) to the east of the Old Vicarage. The purpose of the test pits was to try
and ascertain the extent of the orange-brown coloured boulder clay layer encountered during
the excavation of trench 3 in 1999 and 2000 in the garden of the Old Vicarage. Excavation of
this trench suggested that in areas were this clay was present the archaeological features
survived to a greater degree than those in which the bedrock was close to the surface. If the
boulder clay was present and if archaeological features were found cutting into it then the
intention was to open a large trench in the field as part of the main excavations in the
summer.
Although the boulder clay was found in all of the test pits at an average depth of 0.50m below
the surface. Despite this only one test pit (24) contained a definite archaeological feature. This
was a stone lined post hole cut into the boulder clay and filled with a light grey clay silt.
Patches of this clay silt were present in several of the other test pits but it was not clear wether
these patches represented the in fill of archaeological features or were the product of
geological processes. Test pit 24 was also the only test pit to produce pottery from before the

post medieval period. The pottery all came from the sub soil layer and included two sherds of
glazed medieval ware. Four sherds of early to mid Iron Age pottery were found three of
which appear to belong to the same vessel. Four sherds of Roman pottery were recovered,
three of these were not diagnostic but the other probably dates from the 1st or early 2nd
centuries AD. All the test pits were backfilled after they had been recorded.
3.2 Trenches.
With the extent of archaeology in Area C uncertain it was decided to focus the 2002
excavation in the garden of the Old Vicarage by opening a 10m x 10m area, trench 16,
immediately to the east of trench 3. In Area C a smaller trench, trench 20, would be opened
up to the south of test pit 24 with the purpose of determining if the patches of clay silt
represented the in fill of man made features such as ditches, pits and post holes.
Trench 16 was designed to extend our understanding of the archaeology discovered in trench
3. Trench 16 was a 10m x 10m area sited immediately to the east of trench 3 with the
northern half of the west side of trench 16 overlapping the east end of trench 3 (Fig 17). By
opening a larger area it was hoped to gain a clearer view of the extent and alignments of any
archaeological features than would be possible with a narrow trench. In particular it was
hoped to gain an indication of the character of the occupation within the enclosure in the Iron
Age. It was also hoped that it would be possible to locate and excavate the linear features
found running beyond the east section of trench 3. In January of 2002 a geophysical survey
was carried out by Geoquest Associates. This was a magnetometer survey which took in the
garden of the Old Vicarage. The location of trench 16 was also designed to cover part of an
area which on the geophysical survey of 2002 contained an anomaly interpreted by Geoquest
Associates as an area of brick, iron or burnt material (Fig 4).
Around 0.50m of topsoil was hand excavated to reveal a layer of light orange grey silt clay
(layer 67). Excavation revealed this layer to be on average 0.15m thick and that it lay above
the layer (76), the undisturbed orange brown natural boulder clay. It was clear that there were
a considerable number of archaeological features cut into layer 67.
Trench 17 was 12m long by 1m wide and was hand excavated in Area B alongside the north
wall of the Old Vicarage. It was excavated to look for evidence of a track way which it is
believed ran alongside the wall in Area B. Although no track appears on any Ordnance
Survey maps a foot path does run along this line and a ‘dog leg’ in the drive of the Old
Vicarage does suggest that at sometime a track ran off it into Area B. While trench17 was
positioned to try and intercept the line of the Iron Age enclosure ditch its primary role was to
look for archaeological evidence of later occupation and activity around the hilltop.
The Geoquest survey detected another anomaly running north to south across the east end of
the garden. This was tentatively interpreted as a ditch. It was decided to examine the
geophysical results by hand digging a 4m x 2m trench, trench 18, over the line of the
anomaly.

Although the line of the enclosure ditch through Area B has been well established there are
still important questions which remain to be answered. Trench 19 was excavated to see if any
evidence of a rampart or palisade could be found and also to provide more information about
the methods used to excavate the ditch. Trench 19 measured 10m x 4m and was positioned so
that it overlapped with the west end of trench 15 which was excavated in 2001. As was
discovered in 2001 only a thin layer of topsoil covered the bedrock in this part of Area B.
This was removed by mechanical excavator to reveal the fill of the ditch which was then
excavated by hand.
As in previous years all the trenches were backfilled with the exception of trench 18. It is
hoped to return and expand this trench in 2003.
Fig 4: Part of the Geoquest Associates magnetometer survey carried out in January 2002.
The broken red line marked A surrounds a dark area interpreted as an anomaly possibly
caused by burnt material. The line marked B surrounds the anomaly interpreted as a
possible ditch. The line marked C surrounds the readings which show the line of the
enclosure ditch in Area B.

3.3 Community Involvement.
It has always been the aim of the Mellor Archaeological Trust and UMAU to run the
excavations at Mellor as a community archaeological project. This year 53 people
volunteered varying amounts of their time to work on the site. Over the eight weeks of
excavation there were on average 15 people working each day in the various trenches. On a
sunny weekend in 2002 the open days attracted 1,639 visitors. During July students from the
Ridge Danyers College in Marple built a reconstruction of an Iron Age roundhouse in Area C.
The project was part of the wider European Community Culture Programme, the Mnesonyme
Project. A variety of specialists including thatchers and coppicers guided the students during
the work. This reconstruction is a major attraction for visitors to the site and acts as a
valuable illustrative model during the excavations. This year also saw the Trust commission a
film record of the excavations. The video of the 2002 excavation is now available and it is
hoped to add to this each year.
Fig 5: Visitors during the 2002 Open W eekend inspect trench 18.

4. Excavation Results.
4.1 Trench 16
Fill/layer Morphology
The character of the archaeological features revealed divided the trench into two (Fig 7). The
majority of the features in the western half were linear ditches and gullies, while in the
eastern half post holes or pits pre-dominated. Three exceptions to this are linear features [94]
and [203] which run west to east across trench 16 and feature [28] which runs south to north
for 3.30m in the east half of trench 16. After the excavation of the dark grey and brown
topsoil and subsoil to a depth of around 0.50m a layer of light orange grey silt clay (layer 67)
was exposed over all of trench 16. It was clear that there were a considerable number of
archaeological features cut into layer 67. Excavation soon revealed that layer (67) was, on
average, 0.15m thick and that it lay above the layer (76), the undisturbed orange brown
natural boulder clay. The horizon between layers (67) and (76) was very diffuse with the two
layers merging into each other. The interpretation of (67) was that it represented a layer of
weathered natural rather than man made occupation layer. However three pieces of worked
flint were found on the surface of layer (67). Two of these appear to be simple scrapers
however the third is a polished Late Neolithic flint chisel (Appendix 3). It is possible that the
weathered layer has formed over several thousand years and has covered archaeological
evidence for Mesolithic and Neolithic occupation of the hilltop. To test this hypothesis in the
north-east corner of trench 16 a 4m x 3m area of layer (67) was excavated until it was clear
that layer (76) was exposed. There were no finds recovered during this excavation of layer
(67) and there was no indication of archaeological features in the exposed area of layer (76).
This process was repeated with the same results on a 3.0m x 3.0m area in the middle of
trench 16.
Fig 6:Late Neolithic polished flint chisel from trench 16.

Linear Features
The fills of the majority of the linear features in the western half of trench 16 were very
similar. This was a mid-grey clay silt with a high percentage of charcoal flecks and sub-
angular stone inclusions (Fig 8). This served to highlight them against the orange brown
Fig 7: Plan of excavated features in trench 16. Context numbers are in red, fills in curved brackets and cuts in
square brackets. The location and reference letter of section drawings illustrated in Fig 12 for the linear features
and Fig 13 for post holes and pits, are shown in blue.
boulder clay through which they were cut but made detecting re-cuts and stratigraphic
relationships difficult in section and virtually impossible in plan. The high charcoal content
may well account for the geophysical anomalies on the 2002 survey which were interpreted as
an area of brick, iron or burnt material.

The lack of dating evidence from the fills of the linear features means that the phasing is
entirely stratigraphic. It is likely that some of the features which appear together in the same
stratigraphic phase are not contemporary.
Phase 1
The earliest phase of the linear features in the western half of trench 16 was represented by
ditch [199]. This was cut at its south end by feature [94]. However as [199] did not continue
south, beyond [94], it seems likely that its northern terminus was close to this point. From this
point it ran north for 2.50m where it intersected, and was cut by, ditch [96]. A small fragment
of a crucible was found in the fill of ditch [199]. This has yet to be analysed. Several crucible
fragments have been recovered in previous years from the enclosure ditch which have been
provisionally dated to the Iron age.
Phase 2
The second phase of linear features was represented by four stretches of ditch [96], [111],
[114] and [233]. Ditch [111] emerged from the west section 1.40m south of the north west
corner of trench 16. It then curved to the south east for 2.0m before running directly south for
3.60m. At its southern end it is cut by ditch [94]. A sample was taken of the charcoal rich fill
of ditch [111] and sent away to be radiocarbon dated. The result gave a 2 Sigma calibrated
date range with a 95% probability between 380 BC and 520 BC.
At its north end ditch [233] emerges from the west section of the trench immediately to the
north of [111]. Excavation at this point revealed that [233] was a re-cut of an earlier ditch
[235] which followed the same line. From the section [233] ran south east for 2.0m at which
point it was cut by ditch [156]. The base of [156] is 0.20m below that of [233] so all trace of
[233] has been lost. However it does seem likely that it continues to the south of [156] as
ditch [96] which is also cut by [156]. Like [233] the base of [96] is above that of [156] in this
instance by 0.15m. Recording of the section after excavation at the intersection of [96] and
[156] showed that [96] was a re-cut along the line of an earlier ditch [211]. Ditch [96] ran for
5.40m in a shallow arc south east then south west. At its south end [96], like [111], is cut by
[94].
Immediately to the south of and also cut by [94] there was a 2.0m long stretch of ditch [114].
This curved gently south west from [94] to enter the west section of trench 16 0.40m north of
the south west corner of the trench. From its proximity and alignment it seems likely that this
represents a continuation of either [96] or [111]. Unfortunately due to the presence of ditch
[94] it was impossible to prove stratigraphically if this was the case (Fig11). The fills of [96]
[111] and [114] were so alike that any determination on these grounds would be highly
subjective. In addition the alignment of the three ditches is such that a case can be made for
either [96] or [111] continuing as [114].

Phase 3
The third phase is represented by two linear features. Ditch [156] was 4.40m long and ran
north east to south west from the north section of the trench to ditch [111] (Fig 10). Three
quarters of the way along from the trench section it cuts through ditch [96]. Ditch [156]
continued to the south west of ditch [96] for another 1.0m before intersecting with ditch
[110]. There was no suggestion that [156] continued beyond [110] in the small space between
it and the west section of the trench. Excavation close to the north section of the trench
revealed that [156] was itself a recut of an earlier ditch, [168].
The second linear feature assigned to this phase was ditch [94] (Fig 9). This emerged from the
west section of the trench and ran east for 6.50m where it terminated. Along its western half it
cut ditches [96], [110] and [114]. Its eastern half curved gently to the south. Ditch [94] stood
out from the other linear features in the trench because all along its length its sides were lined
with angular stones set on edge. It is possible that these stones were used as packing around a
hurdle fence set into ditch [94]. A sample of charcoal was collected from the fill of ditch [94]
and was sent away for radiocarbon dating. The result for this sample fell on a point of the
calibration curve which ‘wiggles’ and so provided two possible 2 Sigma calibrated results
each with a 95% probability. The earliest is between 360 BC and 410 BC and the later is
between 240 BC and 280 BC.
Phase 4
Stratigraphically the latest linear feature appeared to be cut [203]. This emerged from the east
section of the trench and ran west for 9.0m. At its west end it cut through ditch [96] and then
continued into ditch [156] at which point it seemed to terminate. For the eastern two thirds of
its length the fill of [203] closely resembled layer (67) through which it was cut. At its
western end the colour and texture of its fill closely resembled those of the ditches through
which it cut.
The presence of ditch [203] was first detected through the excavation of a number of post
holes aligned east to west. The post holes were defined, on the surface, by stone spreads
containing occasional charcoal flecks. On excavation the material containing the stones and
charcoal proved to be very shallow but in some instances there removal did allow the
differences between layer (67), the fills of the post holes and the fill of ditch [203] to be
discerned. In other cases once the initial stone and charcoal spread had been removed the only
indications for the extent of the post holes were the edges of the ditch and shallow
depressions or cuts in its base. In its western third the excavation of ditch [203] was also
made simpler as here the base of the ditch was filled with frequent stones, many of which
appeared to be fire-cracked pebbles.

Un-phased linear features
Two other linear features were excavated in trench 16.
Ditch [28] emerged from the south section of the trench. It ran north in the south east quarter
of the trench before terminating. It had no stratigraphic relationship with any of the other
linear features although it ran only 0.5m to the east of the terminus of ditch [94]. Halfway
along the west edge ditch [28] cut the east half of post hole [165].
In the north west corner of the trench the south east side of what appeared to be a linear
feature was excavated. Ditch [15] ran south west to north east for 1.0m. In the west section of
the trench it was seen to cut ditch [233]. A row of four stake-holes were cut just inside the
edge of ditch [15]. From the small area of this feature visible in trench 16 it was difficult to
draw any conclusions. However when compared with the records of trench 3 it became clear
that this was ditch [3009]. This ditch ran south west to north east across trench 3 for 7.50m.
Stratigraphically this was the latest of the ditches excavated in trench 3. From the fill of ditch
[3009] a sherd of Romano-British Derbyshire ware pottery was recovered which dated from
the 2nd century AD as well as four sherds of Late Iron Age pottery.

Fig 8: Curvi-linear features in the west half of trench 16 prior to excavation, looking
south.
Fig 9: Stone lined ditch [94] looking east. It cuts curvi-

linear features [111], [96] and [114] in the foreground. In
the background it terminates close to ditch [28].

Fig 10: Looking south at the junction of ditches [156]/[168],

[233]/[235], [111] and [96] in the north west corner of trench 16.
Fig 11: View of excavated junction of ditches [91], [96], [99], [111] and [114].

Fig 12: Selected section drawings through linear features in trench 16.

Fig 13: Section drawings through selected post holes in trench 16.
Fig 14: Looking south at partly excavated feature [32]. This is a typical example of the large
number of fragments of the flat natural sandstone which turned up in the fills of the pits, post
holes and ditches in trench 16.

Fig 15: Fragments of naturally occurring flat sandstone used as

packing in post hole [74] in trench 16.
Fig 16: Fragments of naturally occurring flat sandstone used as packing in post hole [26] in
trench 16.

Post holes, pits and stake-holes
In the eastern half of the trench the majority of features were oval or sub rounded post holes,
pits and stake-holes. A total of forty one of these features were excavated within trench 16.
Only two produced any dating evidence while fourteen had stratigraphic relationships with
other features.
Seven post holes were excavated within the line of cut [203]. It seems likely that some, if not
all, of them might be associated with the ditch. However the spacing of the post holes is
irregular which makes it difficult to use that in determining which ones might be associated
with the ditch. In terms of size and shape there seemed to be two groups; [121], [134], [226]
are all around 0.30m wide by 0.30m deep with near vertical sides and flat bases. The sides,
bases and depth of the other group [54] and [219] are the same but at around 0.40m these
two were wider than they were deep. Post hole [216] which was also within the line of ditch
[203] was considerably smaller than the others. As with spacing the location of these groups
does not offer any help in associating any of the post holes with the ditch.
It is worth noting that none of the post holes excavated within the line of ditch [203] had
either the high charcoal contact or the on edge stone packing present in many of the other post
holes in trench 16.
Close to the east section of the trench ditch [203] is cut by post hole [74] (Fig 15). This, along
with [26] (Fig 16), [68] and [98], was one of four post holes which were characterised by a
dark grey fill resulting from a relatively high charcoal content. They were also clearly defined
by the presence of medium to large angular stones which appeared to have been set on edge
around the sides of the post holes. It is likely that these represent packing wedged into the
post hole to hold the post in place. Several other post holes in trench 16 contained similar
formations of on edge stones although their fills did not have the same high percentage of
charcoal.
Two other post holes had stratigraphic relationships with other features. Post hole [30] lay
1.0m to the south of ditch [203] and was cut through the fill of a shallow pit, [40]. The fill of
post hole [30] contained two sherds of Roman pottery one of which has been provisionally
dated to the middle to late 2nd century AD.
As was mentioned earlier post hole [165] was cut by ditch [28]. One of the fills of the post
hole produced what appears to be a fragment of a crucible used in metal working. The
fragment was very similar to the one found in the fill of ditch [199].
Discussion
Care must obviously be taken in trying to draw too many conclusions from a ten metre square
trench in the middle of what is probably at the least a two hectare enclosed area. However a
major aid to any attempts to interpret the archaeological features in trench 16 is its proximity
to trench 3. For the first time we can look at two connecting pieces of the Mellor jigsaw. In
addition the interpretation by Geoquest Associates of the anomalies on their 2002 geophysical

Fig 17: A plan of trench 16 (on the right) showing its location in relation to trench 3 excavated in 2000.
survey of the Old Vicarage garden seem to have proved accurate. The high levels of charcoal
found during excavation on the west side of trench 16 matches well with the anomalous area
interpreted as representing burning on the geophysical survey. This bodes well for excavation
of two other such areas detected by the survey in the Old Vicarage garden.
Ditch [203] aligns exactly with ditches [3015] and [3019] in trench 3. These ran west to east
for 6.20m across trench 3. It seems likely that these two ditches are the same ditch which has
been cut by ditch [3009]. The plan of trench 3 shows ditch [3019] running into the east
section of trench 3 just 1.0m to the west of where ditch [203] terminated in trench 16. Based
on alignment it is tempting to see ditches [203], [3015] and [3019] as sections of the same
ditch. However there are some problems with this interpretation. There was no evidence of
ditch [3019] in trench 16. If it continued east it should have appeared in trench 16 at the point
where ditch [111] curved into the section. It is possible that ditch [111] has cut away any
evidence of ditch [3019] in trench 3. However, as ditch [203] appears to represent the latest
phase of linear features in trench 16 then if ditch [3019] is associated with it there should
have been evidence of [3019] running into trench 16 and cutting ditch [111].
The curved nature of ditch [111] and compositely ditches [236] and [96] taken together with
ditch [114] is highly suggestive of drainage ditches surrounding Iron age round houses. It is
possible that ditches [3049] and [3047] found in trench 3 represent a north westerly
continuation of ditches [110] and [235]. Excavations at other Iron age sites have found that
these drainage ditches were regularly re-cut in order to keep them working properly. In some
cases slight re alignments have taken place either as a major form of repair or to reflect a
change in layout or reconstruction of the buildings they served.

The drainage ditches are traditionally seen as running below the eaves of the roof which
projected beyond the wall of the round house. If this is so then it is unlikely that ditches [110]
and [96] could have drained the same roof. Perhaps this indicates two phases of building. If
the ditches do represent drainage around a house we might expect to see a circular alignment
of post holes marking the wall line of the houses. The lack of such an alignment in either
trench 16 or trench 3 highlights the caution which should be applied to any interpretation.
Excavation on other sites have shown us that an Iron age hilltop enclosure could have many
sub divisions of varying shape and size with ditches being used to demarcate areas for
different agricultural, industrial and domestic use as well as defining the outline of individual
buildings.
The radiocarbon dates from the charcoal samples of the fills of ditches [111] and [94] are
quite close together and at the early end of the date range from [111] there is even a thirty
year overlap. These are dates for when the wood from which the charcoal came died, which
tells us that the charcoal could not have filled the ditches before that date but in theory could
have filled them any time after that date. Stratigraphically ditch [94] is later than ditch [111]
and was made after ditch [94] had filled up. The nature of ditches [94] and [111] are very
different. Ditch [94] is relatively straight and is distinguished by its lining of on edge stones.
Ditch [111] seems to form part of a sequence of curving ditches and has a high percentage of
charcoal in its fill. The difference in the ditches seems to suggest a change in function for this
part of the site. If ditch [111] is part of a drainage ditch around a roundhouse then it seems
that this has gone out of use and been replaced by a linear ditch possibly with a hurdle fence
in it held in place by stones wedged against it. This may have functioned as part of a stock
enclosure. The question is how long after ditch [111] became filled up was ditch [94] cut.
This depends on the circumstances under which the building surrounded by ditch [111] went
out of use. If it was unplanned say due to the death of the family or enforced movement then
it is possible that the area around the building would have lain unused for a long period of
time. During this period the house may collapse or be deliberately destroyed and material
from it and the surrounding area would gradually silt into the drainage ditches. This process
usually produces a characteristic pattern in the section of an excavated ditch of overlying fills
dipping down the side of the ditch. The fill of ditch [111] was much more homogenous and
without the dip line. This seems to suggest that the in filling of ditch [111] was a rapid
process probably undertaken deliberately in one go by the people living at Mellor. This
suggests a planned change of use for the area which required the immediate filling in of
redundant ditches in order to produce level ground. If this is the case then perhaps the earlier
of the two 2 sigma calibrated radiocarbon date ranges reflects this continuous but changing
occupation of this part of the hilltop.

4.2 Excavation Results; Trench 17
This trench was 12m long by 1m wide and located to examine evidence for both a track way
running alongside the north wall of the Old Vicarage and the enclosure ditch at this point.
Unfortunately, it appears that 19th century quarrying has taken place in this area which has
removed the enclosure ditch. Although truncated by the quarry a short stretch of track way
was uncovered which was made up of a compacted cinder surface. A possible drainage gully
or cart wheel rut was found on the north side of the exposed stretch. It is possible that the
cinders represent a later resurfacing of the track way. However the disturbed nature of the
area meant that if there were earlier phases present they were impossible to detect in a narrow
trench.
Fig 18: Looking south at the cinder track way in trench 17.

In order to examine the anomaly detected by the geophysics survey, Trench 18 was measured
in and excavated on a north east to south west alignment over the north end of the anomaly.
Initially planned as an evaluation trench it revealed the west side of a large cut feature, [154].
In order to carry out any excavation of this feature it was necessary to extend the trench from
3m to 4m in length and 1m to 2m in width. Even after this it is estimated that less than half
the width has been revealed. All the fills encountered either ran beyond the edges or below
the level of safe excavation.
Excavation initially removed around 0.45m of topsoil and subsoil to reveal two soils filling
the feature. In the south west half of the trench was fill (160), a dark brown friable sandy silt.
In the north east half was fill (148). Fill (148) was very slightly lighter than (160), however it
was more easily discernable from (160) due to a high percentage of medium to large sub
angular fragments of sandstone within it. When (160) was excavated it revealed the extent of
(148) which now ran the full length of the trench. The removal of (160) showed that it had
filled a 0.20m deep depression within (148). It seems likely that as the fills of cut [154]
settled a hollow developed at the top and that (160) represents material which was
deliberately tipped in order to level the ground perhaps as part of landscaping for the garden.
Excavation showed (148) to be on average 0.40m deep and with a slight north east to south
west dip. As well as the large stones over forty sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from
this fill. These seem to date from the mid to late 2nd century AD. into the 3rd and possibly the
fourth centuries. The large size of stones within this layer and their concentration at one level
suggests that they may have been deposited as a result of deliberate backfilling.
The removal of (148) exposed two more fills. Most of the trench was covered with fill (101) a
dark grey-brown sandy silt containing flecks of charcoal and ash. At the north east end of the
trench part of fill (149) was exposed. This was a mid to light brown silty sand which
contained a high percentage of small stones. Fill (149) ran south west for 0.70m before
dipping below (101).
Fig 19: South east facing section through possible ditch cut [154] in trench 18.

Layer (101) increased in depth as it dipped gently to the south west. At that end of the trench
were it entered the section it was 0.40m deep. Fifty two sherds of Roman pottery were
recovered from fill (101). An initial assessment suggests that the sherds have a date range
from the early 2nd century AD to the early 3rd century AD.
The excavation of (101) exposed fill (149) across the entire trench. It was clear that the north
east to south west slope of (149) was much more pronounced than in previous fills. Below
(149) this increase in the angle of slope became more pronounced with each new fill that was
exposed. Fill (149) was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.40m, however the depth of the
excavation had now reached its safe limits which meant that (149) was not bottomed. Eleven
sherds of pottery were recovered from fill (149). One sherd is possibly mid 2nd century AD or
later while another may be late Iron Age.
The excavation of (149) exposed three new soil types. At the very north-east end of the trench
was (150) a light yellow-brown silty sand with very small fractured sandstone inclusions.
Layer (150) is probably a natural layer rather than man made and could have been formed by
the fracturing and erosion of the sandstone bedrock. Immediately below layer (150) the
removal of fill (149) exposed the natural sandstone bedrock which, together with layer (150),
probably mark the edge of cut [154].
The third soil exposed by the removal of (149) was another fill, (161). This was a mid grey-
brown clay silt which in the area revealed within trench 18 had a maximum depth of 0.10m.
Two highly abraded sherds of Samian ware came out of fill (161) which are possibly 2nd
century AD in date. Below fill (161) was (151). This was similar in colour and texture to fill
(161) but contained a much higher percentage of charcoal and ash.
Fig 20: Looking south at trench 18. The plating of the natural sandstone bedrock forming the west side of
cut [154] can be seen in the right of the trench.

When fill (151) was excavated it revealed more of the sloping natural sandstone edge of cut
[154]. As with other deep features cut into the bedrock the original excavators seem to have
used the plating of the sandstone to assist their work. This results in a jagged edge, however,
if appearance was not a major concern then it makes the job a lot easier. On the steps formed
by breaking the sandstone plates, fill (152) had accumulated. This was a light grey-brown silt
clay which within trench 18 had a maximum depth of 0.10m. It may have formed as a result
of the edges of cut [154] eroding as well as material from the surrounding area being washed
or blown into the cut while it was open. Nine sherds of pottery were recovered during the
excavation of (152) one of which was a rim of a jar consistent with 3rd century AD forms.
Discussion
The final slope of the exposed edge of cut [154] was around forty five degrees and in total cut
[154] was excavated to a depth of 0.95m which, when added to the topsoil and subsoil, gave a
trench depth of 1.40m. The excavation of trench 18 confirmed the geophysical survey’s
location of an anomaly. Trench 18 did not lie at a right angle across cut [154]. The trench was
aligned north-west to south-east and within it cut [154] ran north to south.
Trench 18 was designed as an evaluation trench. The size of cut [154] meant that only a part
of it was exposed and this could not be fully excavated. This makes it impossible to interpret
the feature with any degree of confidence. However the potential implications of cut [154] for
the site at Mellor are such that it is worth speculating on its functions.
One possibility is that it represents one side of a ditch. If this is the case then it is likely to be
of similar proportions to the section of enclosure ditch revealed in trench 1. However the
current interpretation of the line of the enclosure ditch places its eastern arm some 80m to the
east of trench 18. It is possible that when the enclosure ditch leaves the east side of Area B it
swings sharply to the south and west rather than the current interpretation of a steady curve.
Three geophysical surveys have been carried out in the south west corner of Area D.
Magnetometer surveys were carried out in 2000 and November 2002 and Ground Penetrating
Radar lines were placed across it in 2001. In December 2002 two trial trenches were
excavated across various anomalies detected by these surveys which might represent the east
and south continuation of the enclosure ditch. No indication of the ditch was found in either
of these trenches.
Another possibility is that rather than being part of the enclosure ditch cut [154] represents a
major division within the enclosed hill top. It may run from the south arm of the enclosure
ditch to the north arm. This might act as a division within the enclosure demarcating perhaps
between an area for keeping stock and an area of human occupation.
Some of the fills of cut [154] seem to suggest that it was deliberately back filled and the
pottery from these fills implies that this happened in the Roman period. The initial assessment
of the pottery assemblage from the fills of cut [154] suggest that some of them contain sherds
from pottery types dating to the 3rd and possibly 4th centuries AD. If this is the case then cut
[154] seems to represent further evidence of occupation of the hill top during the Roman

period. The nature of this occupation is uncertain. Previous sherds of pottery and features
assigned to the Roman period could easily represent the continuing occupation of the hill top
by the indigenous population who adopted Roman culture. However if cut [154] is a ditch,
excavated in the Roman period then its potential size would suggest that it is a military
defensive ditch.
The topographic characteristics which made the hill top at Mellor so attractive to people in
the Mesolithic period and the Iron Age, communication routes, unobstructed views and water,
would have made it an excellent site for a Roman military post. The deliberate back filling of
defensive ditches so that they could not be re-used by potential enemies was a common
practice with the Roman army when they abandoned a site.
There are problems with the interpretation of cut [154] as a ditch, of whatever period. One
question is why has no evidence for it been detected before? Until the geophysical survey of
the garden of the Old Vicarage there was no particular reason to excavate at its eastern end,
especially since crop marks and earlier geophysical surveys had highlighted other areas were
resources could be productively allocated. 30m to the south of trench 18 is the graveyard of
Saint Thomas’s church where survey and excavation are not possible.10m to the north of
trench 18, beyond the drive to the Old Vicarage, is Area C. A geophysical survey, using a
magnetometer, was carried out in this area in 2000. This produced a series of anomalies none
of which seemed to indicated the presence of a ditch. Test pitting of the area and the
excavation of trench 20 did confirm the presence of archaeological features but again nothing
which suggested a ditch. Given the size of the test pits and trench 20 it is possible that the line
of the ditch was not intercepted. A further magnetometer survey was carried out in Area C
during November 2002 with the specific intention of looking for a continuation of cut [154].
A possible anomaly was detected although the evidence is inconclusive. It is hoped to carry
out further excavation in Area C during 2003 in order to expand on the results of trench 20
and look for a continuation of cut [154]. However it is possible that if cut [154] is a ditch that
it swings to the west and follows the line of the tarmac drive of the Old Vicarage.
A second problem with the interpretation of cut [154] as a Roman military ditch is that if it
enclosed an area which now includes the Old Vicarage garden it might be expected that the
archaeological evidence for Roman military buildings would be overwhelming in the trenches
excavated so far in the garden. This is not the case.
Perhaps if there was a Roman military post at Mellor it was on a small scale such as a signal
station, which would fit into the unexcavated area at the east end of the garden. Another
possibility is that it enclosed an area to the east of the garden including parts of the graveyard,
and houses around the present Vicarage and the area of the car park.
There are of course other possible interpretations of cut [154]. The naturally plated sandstone
bedrock is relatively easy to lever out as thin blocks once it has been exposed. While these
may not be suitable for constructing large structures they are ideal for making small walls,
tracks and pathways. Archaeological excavations at Mellor have also shown that it was
widely used for packing in post holes and foundation trenches. The evidence from trench 17
suggests that this stone was quarried in post medieval times and so the possibility must exist
that cut [154] is evidence of earlier exploitation of this local resource.

Although the line the enclosure ditch took through the field had been fairly well established
there are still important questions to be answered. Trench 19 was excavated to see if any
evidence of a rampart could be found in association with the ditch. Also it was hoped to learn
more about the method in which the ditch was originally excavated. Trench 19 was excavated
immediately to the west of trench 15 which was excavated in 2001. Trench 19 was 10m long
and between 3m and 4m wide. As with trench 17 there was only a thin layer of topsoil
c0.20m deep covering the sandstone bedrock. The top most fill of the ditch (103) stood out
against the sandstone as a line of mid brown silt sand running across the trench. The
excavated section of ditch in trench 19, cut [43], was between 1.40m and 1.80m wide and
between 1.10m and 1.30m deep. Perhaps not surprisingly given their proximity the profile of
the ditch in trench 19 was very similar to that in trench 15. The upper third of the ditch had
steeply sloping sides which became near vertical with a flat base.
Fig 21: Plan of trench 19.
The earliest fill of the ditch in trench 19 were (109) which was comprised of around 95%
small, sub angular fragments of sandstone within a mid to dark brown sandy silt. Above this
was (108) which was very similar to (109) except that the percentage of sandstone inclusions
was lower, around 60%. Both (109) and (108) ran the entire length of the stretch of ditch
excavated in trench 19. The same was true of the latest fill, (103). This was a mid brown silty
sand containing medium to large fragments of sandstone which lay practically horizontally at
the base of this fill. Between (103) and (108) the nature of the ditch fills varied along the
length of the trench. Seven of these fills were identified during the excavation. Most
contained large percentages of small to medium sandstone fragments. Three stood out as
being noticeably different. Fill (107) did contain around 70% sandstone fragments but these
were all very small c100mm. Fill (117) was a mid to dark brown silty sand which contained
no sandstone fragments at all. Fill (116) was a very similar soil to (117), it did contain
sandstone fragments but only around 20%. Both (116) and (117) contained flecks of charcoal.

Fig 22: Trench 19 looking east.
Discussion
One of the reasons that the Iron Age settlement at Mellor had remained undiscovered was
that, unlike many other hill forts, the present day view and topography contain no ridges or
depressions to indicate the existence of a rampart and ditch. As with previous trenches
excavated across the line of the ditch there was no indication in trench19 of rampart material
on either side of the ditch.
The amount of material excavated to create the ditch would have been considerable so the
question is where has it all gone ? The bulk of the material removed during the excavation of
the ditch would have been fragments of flat sandstone. While this material is probably too
thin to be used in large buildings it is ideal for laying as pathways and for constructing small
walls. It might be that it was never used in the construction of a rampart but was utilised as a
construction material elsewhere on the site. This would account for the absence of a ridge in
the landscape. However it is unlikely that natural erosion of the sides of the ditch and hillside
alone could have filled in the ditch so completely so as not to leave a hollow. The high
percentage of small to medium sized sandstone fragments within the ditch fills suggests that
at least some of the original excavated material was mounded adjacent to the ditch and has
found its way back into the ditch. While the presence of an up slope bank or rampart would
facilitate the in filling of the ditch it again seems unlikely that natural processes alone could
have removed all physical indications of a rampart and ditch from the landscape. To do this
would probably have required human intervention. The nature and timing of this intervention
is as yet unclear. The presence of a rampart and ditch would have hindered the agricultural
use of this field. The larger fragments of sandstone may have been taken away to be used in
buildings and walls and the remaining material pushed into the ditch. This could have been
done any time after these features became redundant. Another possibility is that the rampart

and ditch were deliberately slighted when the settlement was abandoned. This may have been
done by the occupants themselves when they left or as part of a process imposed on them by a
new regime.
One interpretation by the excavators in 2001 of the depositional sequence of the fills found
within the ditch in trench 15 takes into account both human and natural processes. The
continuous early fills possibly represent a deliberate partial backfilling of the ditch. The
variable intermediary fills are likely to be the result of natural erosion. The latest continuous
fill is seen as deliberate levelling of any remaining ditch and rampart in order to be able to
plough the field. The evidence from trench 19 would seem to support this interpretation.
Fig 23: W est facing section (on the left) and east facing section through enclosure ditch cut [43] in trench 19.

Excavation of trench 3 suggested that in areas were the boulder clay was present the
archaeological features survived to a greater degree than those in which the bedrock was close
to the surface. In March 2002 17,1m x 1m, test pits were excavated in a 10m grid pattern in a
triangular shaped field (area C) to the east of the Old Vicarage.
The purpose of the test pits was to try and ascertain whether or not the boulder clay layer
extended into Area C. The boulder clay was found in all of the test pits at an average depth of
0.50m below the surface. Despite this only one test pit (24) contained a definite
archaeological feature. This was a stone lined post hole cut into the boulder clay and filled
with a light grey clay silt. There was no dating evidence from the fill of the post hole,
however, from the interface of the subsoil and the boulder clay thirteen sherds of pottery were
recovered from test pit 24 and its 1.0m square westerly extension. From the initial pottery
assessment four appear to be Iron Age, three from the same vessel. Three sherds have a date
range from the 1st to early 2nd centuries AD. Another three date from the mid 2nd century three
more can only be characterised as Roman and two appear to be medieval.
Patches of the grey clay silt which filled the post hole were present in several of the other test
pits but it was not clear whether these represented the fill of archaeological features or were
the product of geological processes. In order to answer this question a 3.0m x 3.0m trench
(20) was opened immediately to the south of test pit 24.
Excavation of 0.30m of topsoil and subsoil in trench 20 revealed the natural boulder clay,
layer (179) over the whole area of the trench. The boulder clay in this trench was reddish
brown in colour. In texture it was more compact than layer (67) in trench 16 but was very
similar to layer (76). Several areas of grey silt were visible within the trench and thanks to the
larger area these could be seen to be reasonably regular in shape and more indicative of man
made archaeological features rather than natural processes.
Seven archaeological features were identified cut into the boulder clay within trench 20.
Three of them [140], [184] and [186] were similar in shape and dimensions to the post hole
excavated in test pit 24. All appeared to be roughly circular between 0.30m and 0.38 m in
diameter with near vertical sides and between 0.20m and 0.25m deep. All these post holes
also contained evidence of packing stones.
Running north west to south east immediately to the south of post hole [140] was a short
linear feature, [187]. Gully [187] was 1.80m long with both the north west and south east
curved ends visible within the trench. The sides of [187] sloped steeply down to a curved
base.
[141] was a 0.90m diameter circular feature within trench 20. This feature was 0.35m deep
with steeply sloping sides and a flat base. A flat stone was embedded into the base of the
feature. Many of the post holes excavated during the summer contained on-edge or steeply
angled stones within their fill; in the case of feature [141] these stones were the main
component of the fill.

Extending out 0.70m from the east section of trench was what appeared to be the west half of
a 2.0m wide circular feature, [139]. Excavation of [139] showed it to be 0.36m deep with
gently sloping sides and a flat base. Feature [139] had a fill of mid grey silt with occasional
flecks of charcoal. However like [141] the vast majority of the material filling [139] were
small to medium sized fragments of sub angular sandstone derived from the natural bedrock.
The availability of this material was demonstrated by the presence of a spread of sandstone
revealed in a 1.0m extension excavated on the south east corner of trench 20. The full extent
of this spread [182] was not revealed nor was it clear whether it was part of a layer set onto
the boulder clay or the fill of a cut feature.
Fig 24: Plan of trench 20.

Discussion
Trench 20 was excavated to try to answer the specific question of whether the patches of grey
silt clay seen in some of the test pits were a natural occurrence or the result of human activity.
It seems clear from the excavation that the features found in trench 20 are man made and that
the archaeology found in the Old Vicarage garden extends into Area C. It is tempting to see
feature [141] as a large post hole containing a large central upright timber with the smaller
post holes [140], [184] and [186] and the post hole found in test pit 24 as part of a grouping
around it. However the nature of trench 20 means that it is too soon to attempt any detailed
interpretation of these features. It is hoped that further excavation will provide evidence as to
the nature and date of the occupation in this area.
It was also hoped that trench 19 would provide more information about the method in which
the ditch was originally excavated. As with all the other trenches on the enclosure ditch no
evidence of a rampart was found.
This reinforces the theory that this field has been heavily ploughed over the years flattening
any remains there may have been of a rampart and ditch. It will be interesting to see in future
years whether there will be any evidence that the flattening process was assisted by a
deliberate dismantling of the Iron age defences by later occupants of the hilltop. Trench 19
did reveal the point at which the enclosure ditch changes alignment and turns south west to
head towards the Old Vicarage. It also seemed to confirm the hypothesis suggested by trench
15 that the daunting task of cutting the enclosure ditch through the bedrock was made easier
by following natural bedding planes. The result may not have produced the most regular or
straight ditches but it would have made their excavation considerably easier than working
exclusively to a predetermined plan. Although Trench 19 was located adjacent to Trench 15,
excavated in 2001, no further sherds of Iron Age pottery were found.
Fig 25: Section drawings through post holes and pits in trench 20.

5. Conclusions
The excavations during 2002 revealed clear evidence of several phases of occupation at
Mellor. In trench 16 the re-cutting of the curvi-linear ditches suggests a sustained period of
occupation possibly relating to round houses. The difference in character between these
ditches and the stone lined gully [94] and post hole trench [203] which cut them suggest a
change in function for this part of the hilltop. The radiocarbon dates obtained from samples of
fills from [94] and [203] are relatively close which suggests that the change was part of a
continuous process rather than representing a break in occupation. This seems to be supported
by the manner in which the latest phase curvi linear ditches have filled up which would seem
to indicate a deliberate in-filling as part of an organised effort required to change the role of
this part of the hilltop. Trench 17 showed that there had been post medieval activity on the
site which has impacted on the prehistoric archaeology of the hilltop. While the quarrying has
had a detrimental effect the discovery of a cinder track way on the line of a modern footpath
opens the possibility that this may itself follow the line of an earlier route. As it runs
immediately below the wall of the Old Vicarage another possibility is that it may provide
evidence of earlier property or land use boundaries.
Excavation of trench 20 confirmed the indications of the test pits that the occupation of the
hilltop extended into Area C. The high level of survival of the archaeological features cut into
the boulder clay promises to produce good information on the nature and date of this
occupation. The most likely interpretation of the feature found in trench 18 seems to be that it
is part of a substantial ditch. It is hoped that an extension of this trench in 2003 will reveal the
full width and depth of this feature. It is also hoped that excavation will be able to establish
whether it represents evidence of a continuation of Iron Age occupation into the Roman
period or of Roman occupation super-imposed onto an abandoned native Iron Age site.
The role of Mellor as a community archaeology project continues to grow. Each season of
excavation has seen an increase in the number of volunteers. At the same time there has been
a growing appreciation of the important contribution the archaeological discoveries at Mellor
are making towards our understanding of the prehistoric culture of the region. This year the
Mellor Archaeological Trust was successful in its bid for a Heritage Lottery grant under the
“Your Heritage”scheme. Part of this grant will be used to help fund the archaeological
excavations over the next three years. In addition UMAU continues to receive generous
financial support for the excavations through the Community Services Department of
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. These grants will allow the excavation to maintain
its commitment to public involvement in this community project and ensure that an
appropriate level of professional archaeological supervision is available during the
excavations. It also the current post excavation programme of specialist analysis and
reporting can be maintained. The Mellor Archaeological Trust continues to organise a series
of events, lectures and publications throughout the year. The purpose of these is to
disseminate information and results from the excavations and raise additional funds. This
year the Trust held a Study Day at the Mellor Parish Centre on the Iron Age and Romano-
British period in the region. The ‘sell out’ attendance for this event reflects the popularity and
interest in the excavations at Mellor while the papers delivered by some of the leading
archaeologists in the region highlights the level of professional and academic interest in the

site.

Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2002

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Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2002

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Report on the 2002 season of

archaeological excavation at Mellor.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 1

Non Technical Summary

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 2

Fig 1: Excavation of archaeological features in trench 16

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 3

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 4

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 5

2. The Physical Setting

Fig 2: Site Location plan based on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 6

3 . Aims and Methodology

Fig 3: Location plan showing areas of excavation 1995 to 2002.

3.1 Test Pits

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 7

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 8

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 9

3.3 Community Involvement.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 10

Fig 6:Late Neolithic polished flint chisel from trench 16.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 11

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 12

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 13

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 14

Un-phased linear features

Two other linear features were excavated in trench 16.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 15

Fig 9: Stone lined ditch [94] looking east. It cuts curvi-

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 16

Fig 10: Looking south at the junction of ditches [156]/[168],

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 17

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 18

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 19

Fig 15: Fragments of naturally occurring flat sandstone used as

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 20

Post holes, pits and stake-holes

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 21

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 22

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 23

4.2 Excavation Results; Trench 17

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 24

4.3 Excavation Results; Trench 18

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 25

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 26

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, July 2003 27

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4.4 Excavation Results; Trench 19

Fig 21: Plan of trench 19.

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Fig 22: Trench 19 looking east.

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4.5 Excavation Results; Trench 20

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Fig 24: Plan of trench 20.

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