The Marple Local History Society was formed in 1951 as The Marple Antiquarian Society and changed to its present title in 1990. More than 80 members meet on the third Monday in the month from September to April at the Evangelical Church on Queen Street, Marple.

The meetings invite speakers on various subjects of local interest or from further afield. Recent talks have included Gorton Monastery, Marple in World War II, Textile Mills, Hayfield Workhouse, Ludworth School and Strines Printworks. The Society also has close links with the Mellor Archaeological Trust and the Iron Bridge Restoration Group.

In July there is a Cheese and Wine evening at Mellor, which includes a guided tour of the archaeological excavations. During the summer two or three coach tours are organised to places of interest where specialist guides meet us. Recent visits have included Gorton Monastery, Tissington Hall and Longnor, Port Sunlight and Ness Gardens, Llangollen, followed by a canal boat trip over the Ponte Cysyllte Aqueduct, Chesterfield and Hardwick Hall, Liverpool Cathedrals, and Shibden Hall.

The first outing for this coming summer will be to the Lancashire mill town of Todmorden with a visit to its magnificent town hall, and then to the twin villages of Mankinholes and Lumbutts. In July the coach will take us to the southern Lake District where we will visit the Stott Park Bobbin Mill at Finsthwaite on Lake Windermere. We then travel to Coniston for a boat trip across Coniston Water to Brantwood, the home of Pre-Raphaelite art critic and writer John Ruskin, followed by a short cruise before returning to Coniston for the journey home.

The Society holds extensive archives of local and regional interest and is constantly adding to them. Many of these are donated by local people but some arrive from as far away as the U.S.A. The archives are presently stored at Mellor but the committee hope to move them to Marple and is actively looking for suitable accommodation.

Annual subscription for the Society is £10 and visitors may attend talks for £2. New members are always welcome and further information can be obtained from Ann Hearle, 0161 427 1149.

The Society continues to attract people and the talks and outings were a success. There was an increase in the number members to just under one hundred with an average attendance at meetings of between sixty and seventy people. The Locks Festival held bi-annually was this year and the Society held a small exhibition of David Brindley's photos from the Society's Millennium project. Judith led walks down the locks summer walks flyers giving details of the society were distributed to people. This we are sure this attracted more membersThe first talks ranged from the 'Angels at Gorton Monastery' to 'Manchester Down Below' the rest of the years programme was varied and stimulating. As were the outings, researched, planned and led by Judith, with almost full coaches.

The Christmas party food was plentiful and the talk on 'Marple Restaurants' completed the evening.
Once again the cheese and wine evening was held at the Old Vicarage in almost summer weather, no beautiful sunset but still enjoyable. Everyone enjoyed looking at old post cards of the area and some of David Brindley's Millennium photos.

Sadly our treasurer Kirsten Western died earlier this year. She had been a member for a great many years and worked extremely hard behind the scenes, not only sorting out our finances but also with the archives. Most people will remember her greeting people at the door for our meetings.

Thank you everybody who helps in any way.

At last! We heard that the bid for lottery money for the restoration of the Iron Bridge in Brabyns Park had been successful! It has taken six years of hard work led by Mark Whittaker and Peter Clark of the Marple Web Site. Working with Stockport Council and our Society, satisfying English Heritage and dealing with the mains gas pipe across the bridge. All has been resolved and with the restoration of the bridge come many activities and work in the park.

The excavations at Mellor proved as exciting as ever with the discovery of a more large post holes in the old Vicarage garden in the lawn between the vegetable patch and the church. In 2005, the iron arrow head with pottery and carbon dating has led to the conclusion that there had been a medieval timber framed isled hall, constructed in the 11th to 13th centuries and came down in the 13th to 15th centuries! In 2006 more post holes and two arrow heads were found. One of the arrow heads is an extremely important discovery. A 'Medieval "curved broadhead" arrow head. Geoff Gaunt, an archery expert 'knows of no example of this type of iron arrow head in Britain.' This design of arrow head, with the 'engrailings' on the inside of the barbs, has only previously appeared in heraldic coats of arms, where it is known as a pheon.

I wrote in the last letter about our application for more lottery money! Money is not awarded for a continuation of the same work and we were encouraged to go for project covering the prehistory to the present time for the whole parish of Mellor, from the River Goyt to Robin Hoods Picking Rods and across from Compstall Bridge to Brook Bottom. Two valleys and three hills! After a great deal of very hard work the Trust heard in September that they had got the award. This years Open Days are on the 1st and 2nd of September. The Society will be manning the book stall in the Parish Centre. Volunteers welcome.

Writing of volunteers, our correspondence secretary Ann Palmer is moving, we wish her all the best. Is there anyone in the Society who would be willing to take on contacting the speakers and writing a few letters?

After the AGM a number of people volunteered to help with the archives and we are making good progress, it is good to be part of a team and we are all learning new facts about our district as we trawl through the archives to record and index for the new computer index.

The society's money is used for publishing books, mounting exhibitions, acquiring and keeping archives. Meetings are advertised locally. Anyone can attend one meeting as a visitor or join the society. Many people hear of the society through seeing one of the exhibitions. The subscription is £8 and there are currently one hundred and four members. The local library holds an index to the society's archives and passes on questions from the general public.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Ann Hearle.

LOCAL HISTORY PUBLICATIONS

Marple Local History Society publications

• Brabyns Hall £ 2.50
• Festival Programmes £ 0.10
• History of Marple £ 3.95
• Hollins Mill £ 2.50
• It happened 500 years ago £ 0 .50
• Marple Hall £ 2.50
• Marple Hall postcards £ 0.10
• Marple Rose Hill House £ 2.50
• Marple C19 Failure £ 1.50
• Oldknow Mill postcards £ 0.10
• Samuel Oldknow £ 1.75
• What did they leave £ 1.00
• The Wallers £ 2.50
• 1851 Census £ 1.00
• Marple Bridges and Turnpikes £ 2.50

Local books published by others

• Marple and Mellor (pictures) £ 11.99
• Marple. Now and then (pictures) £ 12.99
• Twelve Mellor Walks £ 3.50
• Maps of Mellor £ 4.95
• The Kitchen Gardener £ 2.50
• Mellor Heritage £ 2.50
• Mellor Church £ 2.00
• Mellor Archaeological Trust £ 3.50
• From Peak to Plain £ 3.50