The 2009 dig completed excavations of all accessible areas of the Old Vicarage garden and at the end of 2009 the Mellor Heritage Project was due to come to an end. All the other activities that were planned have been carried out, but there is a little more to do on publications before we sign off. The award of £455,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was matched by financial contributions from Stockport MBC and Trust funds and overwhelmingly by in-kind volunteer contribution, which had been estimated at £270,000 in the HLF application but have amounted to at least three times that amount. The celebration conference in Stockport Town Hall testified to the success of this community heritage project.

The great work of the groups recording the buildings of Mellor and Ludworth and of other groups finding, reviewing and indexing historical records continues at little or no cost. What about digging? The Trust�s financial reserves are small and will allow for only limited payment for professional input, keeping in mind the need to cover excavation costs and proper evaluation and conservation of finds. However many of our volunteers now have the experience to carry out excavations on their own. Andy Coutts, Steve Milne and Don Reid all now have NVQs in archaeology and three more are on their way, so a volunteer group has been set up to carry forward this activity. Unfortunately, for the moment, we are only able to accept volunteers who have previously dug at Mellor.

Still to come are a popular book, Mellor through the Ages: times of importance and times of obscurity,
and the Academic Reports on the archaeology of the Old Vicarage, Shaw Cairn and Mellor Mill sites.

Shaw Cairn, where the amber beads were found, has proved itself to be a site of great importance. Although some trial trenches could be dug to sample archaeology outside the cairn itself, the major project that is needed will have to wait until substantial funding can be found.
Mellor Mill is similarly of major importance as an industrial archaeology site, which should be opened to the public. We are in discussion with HLF about an application for funds which if successful would be planned to start in 2011, although some exploratory excavations were carried out in 2010.