l8 MELANDRA CASTLE, DERBYSHIRE. 



Woolley Bridge, a beautiful Roman sepulchral urn of red earthen- 

 ware was found. It remained in the possession of Messrs. Lees, 

 the owners of the mill, until some years ago, when a careless 

 servant knocked it from the mantel, and it was broken beyond 

 repairing. Another one found on the site is in Warrington 

 Museum, along with other curios from this ancient military 

 position. 



It has been stated by several historians that the plain at the 

 foot and to the north of Melandra was at the time of the Roman 

 occupation a vast lake, and that these people cut the hill at Best 

 Hill, Broadbottom, thus letting off the waters and effectually 

 draining the land. This is an illusion. In 1841, at Pym's 

 Parlour, a deep recess in the rocks — called by the country people 

 the Fairies' Cave — a few yards from the river edge, were found 

 some old coins, one of them of a date, I believe, anterior to the 

 Roman invasion. Had such a lake as I have mentioned existed, 

 it would have been impossible for the coins, and the stone coffin 

 found in Shepley's goyt, to have been where they were discovered. 

 That a lake has existed there cannot be denied, but it was 

 thousands of years ago. 



Many Roman remains were found on the plain when the 

 reservoir, previously mentioned, was constructed. Between the 

 reservoir and Melandra Castle the Glossop Corporation are 

 going to construct settling tanks in connection with their sewage 

 works, and we may therefore anticipate important finds, and it is 

 to be hoped the local municipal authorities will arrange for 

 anything of historical value to be collected and preserved. 



No systematic effort has ever been made to excavate and 

 thoroughly examine the site of Melandra Castle. In 1863 or 

 1864, during the Cotton Famine, some men were employed in 

 laying drains, about eight yards apart, across the area, being 

 ordinary drainage operations and not for any antiquarian object, 

 when they came across several querns and other remains, which 

 were taken to Glossop Hall ; but the coins found were pocketed, 

 as were other small articles. 



I am sorry to say that the inhabitants of the district, with one 



