Once again, for the Trust’s Christmas meal, the Sewart family, along with their staff at the Roman Lakes came up trumps, on Sunday 3rd December. They enabled the 75 or so of Trust Friends, with their partners and friends, to luxuriate in an afternoon of fine food and the warmth of very special hospitality.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 9300
Hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water or running water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower from many kinds of watermills has been used as a renewable energy source for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as gristmills, sawmills, textile mills, trip hammers, dock cranes, domestic lifts, and ore mills.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 22973
On Saturday, March 14, an oil painting of Samuel Oldknow’s Mellor Mill, was unveiled, which hangs high above the reception desk. A few years ago, Mark Whittaker, (right) who has done so much for the community by establishing the Marple Website, heard about this picture. Engravings had long been known, indeed one hangs in the library, but this was the original oil painting by the Manchester artist, Joseph Parry.
In late 2013, Mark was told that the owner, Sean White, wanted to sell it for £3,500 and would be happy for it to come to Marple. As he wanted to sell quickly, the Mellor Archaeological Trust launched an appeal to raise funds to acquire it for the benefit of the community. The Cooperative Community Fund started the ball rolling by paying half the cost of the painting. The SMBC Area Flexibility Fund provided £500 and as did the Mellor Society. Other support came from four local organisations and from over 20 individual donors. This not only covered the cost of the picture but paid for conservation and insurance.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 13779
Christmas was approaching fast, but cars took their time approaching Roman Lakes tiptoeing along the bridleway that leads to the venue for the third annual Christmas ‘Do’ of the Trust, the Roman Lakes Café. The coaxing done by email and a website reminder had produced the more than three dozen diners. Pushing open the door to the warmth of the cafe, after being ticked off on the list of atendees, many headed to the wood burning stove, to warm themselves to the core.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 12730
August 2nd 2014
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.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 14324
Read more: Visit to Castleshaw Roman Fort and Saddleworth Museum
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.
- Details
- Category: Past Event Reports
- Hits: 12547