Visit to Castleshaw Roman Fort and Saddleworth Museum August 2nd 2014

Visit to Castleshaw Roman Fort and Saddleworth Museum

August 2nd 2014

FCRF volunteers excavating the site.

About a dozen Friends of the Trust braved the weather and were met at Castlefield Centre car park by Norman Redhead, County Archaeologist, and three Friends of Castleshaw Roman Forts (FCRF) at 10-30 on August 2. Two keen walkers climbed the hill but the rest drove up to the site where FCRF had been excavating for three weeks. It is next to the old hamlet of Lower Castleshaw with its one remaining house. As part of the HLF-supported project, 300 schoolchildren had dug the site of an old cottage where sensitive archaeology could not be disturbed. The main site was much like Mellor with subtle changes of colour in the soil showing the ancient features. Many of the volunteers were inexperienced so it was a good training exercise led by CfAA, Salford University, including our own John Roberts.

Read more: Visit to Castleshaw Roman Fort and Saddleworth Museum August 2nd 2014

Manchester Histories Festival: March 29, 2014

Celebration Day,

Manchester Town Hall, March 29, 2014.

   Inspiring and wonderful photographs.

This was just one of the comments on the Oldknow Legacy Project. The highlights of our display were the five large pictures, the two Parry paintings and three of Arthur Procter’s magnificent photos of how the sites (or sights!) look today, plus portraits of 30- and 60-year old Samuel Oldknow.

Read more: Manchester Histories Festival: March 29, 2014

Mellor Mill Heritage Day, Sunday, 8th September

Early in the morning ‘staff’ made their way down t’mill, volunteers preparing for their duties. Cars clattered down the imperfect Lake Road, carrying the gazebo, the display boards, the books and the rest. Two hundred years before in the pre-dawn gloom, on Wednesday September 8th 1813 there would have been the clattering of clogs as 500 women and children, and but few men, huddled figures, descended the hill on their way t’mill, then in its prime, past the boss’ house, to the toil of a working day. Mellor Mill Heritage Day was to celebrate these workers, their boss, Samuel Oldknow, and his Mill.

Read more: Mellor Mill Heritage Day, Sunday, 8th September