In the year 2000 the archaeologists returned to Mellor Old Vicarage for a third season. They continued to work on the ditch section, enlarging the area so that now a complete profile can be seen from both sides. Whilst working on this section they found a large piece of Iron Age pottery that fitted exactly with a piece found twelve months earlier!

The large area in another section of the garden was reopened and work continued on excavating and recording the very complicated archaeology. Many more flints and pieces of pottery were unearthed. Other small trenches were opened and in one of them a Roman gaming counter was found. Dr. Richard Gregory spent several weeks on geophysical surveying and although the continuation of the ditch was not located, in the field below the Old Vicarage indications of at least seven hut circles were discovered outside the ditch area. This means that they pre-date the ditch and are probably late Bronze or early Iron Age. In 2001 the archaeologists will return for a few weeks and at least one of the hut circles and associated features will be excavated.

Reports on the flints and pottery of the site have been made by experts and all agree that the site is of great importance, not only regionally but nationally!

The open days in September 2000 attracted around 1,300 people and the money raised is used to pay for reports and surveying. Stockport Council supported the actual excavation work last year and this year and some of the finds will be on display in Stockport Museum. Since it is the borough's only pre-history site, schools are interested and several groups have already paid a visit to the site. It is hoped to have a permanent exhibition in the old primary school nearby in the future.