The Post Medieval Period at Mellor
The earliest plan of Mellor of 1589, shows the
Church and a few houses, one of which is probably the Church Inn
(mentioned in a will of 1571), standing next to the Church. We know that it was later bought
by the Perpetual Curate in 1784, becoming the Old Vicarage in
1906.
For many
years, the farmers of Mellor had added to their income by hand spinning
and weaving, but the area changed dramatically at the end of
the 18th century when some of the first Textile Mills of the Industrial Revolution exploited the water power of the two valleys. By 1789, records tell us that William Radcliffe, born in Mellor, was "well established and employing many hands in spinning and weaving". By 1825, there were a dozen mills in Mellor, and many millworkers cottages had been built. The growth in population led to an enlargement of the Church, where galleries were built on three sides to accomodate the expanding congregation.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, however, this industry in the area was in decline and mills in Mellor closed as those in Cheshire and Lancashire became more competitive. Mellor became depressed and depopulated until the coming of the railway to Marple in 1865 led to the building of further properties. By the end of the 20th century the village of Mellor had evolved into a wealthy commuter settlement.
Read about some of the archaeology of the present century in the Excavation of the Well