Introduction
This was a joint series between Glossop and Longdendale Archaeology Society (GLAS) and Glossop Heritage Trust. This series was first published on Facebook in February 2022.
Last autumn we ran a series entitled “Melandra – Glossop’s Forgotten Fort.” However, although of late it may have been overlooked, we do know a lot about it from dozens of excavations. Just over a mile away, though, is another ancient site, even bigger and potentially just as important, about which we know very little.
Unlike Melandra, Mouselow can easily be seen from all directions, but it isn’t obvious what it is – you have to look in the right light, or on Lidar – airborne radar with lasers, which cuts through the trees. Then, it’s possible to see the remains of a large prehistoric hillfort, and within it a small mediaeval castle. However, the castle has been excavated just twice, very minimally, the hillfort not at all.
In the absence of hard knowledge, speculation has thrived. There were Bronze Age burials on the summit; it was a centre of resistance to the Romans at Melandra; the castle was in fact a mediaeval hunting lodge; and there’s a Romano-British cemetery on the slopes. At least some of these things may be true, but in the absence of evidence from surveys and excavations, we don’t actually know. Over the next four weeks, we will look at what we do know, and why some of the theories are more, or less, likely.
In particular, we will look at one of the best-known beliefs about the site, which until a few years ago was generally accepted as true, but which when looked at closely, begins to unravel…..
Outline of the Series
Part 1: The Hillfort
Part 2: The Castle
Part 3: The Stones 1 – The Story
Part 4: The Stones 2 – False Provenance?