Middleton, Greater Manchester

Coordinates: 53°33′18″N 2°11′13″W / 53.555°N 2.187°W / 53.555; -2.187
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Middleton, Lancashire.

Middleton
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMANCHESTER
Postcode districtM24
Dialling code0161
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester
53°33′18″N 2°11′13″W / 53.555°N 2.187°W / 53.555; -2.187

Middleton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England,[1] on the River Irk 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Rochdale and 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Manchester. Middleton had a population of 42,972 at the 2011 Census.[2] It lies on the northern edge of Manchester, with Blackley to the south and Moston to the south east have it large.

History

textile manufacture and it was granted borough status
in 1886.

council estates, whilst Alkrington in the south is a suburban area.[3]

In 616,

Clayton, Ashton and Middleton are a number of settlements northeast of Manchester suggested to have been founded as part of this colonisation.[4] It is therefore thought that Middleton as a settlement dates from the 7th century.[4]

Although unmentioned in the

Norman conquest of England.[5]

The name Middleton first appears in 1194, and derives from the

Old English middel-tūn, meaning middle farm or settlement,[5][6] probably a reference to its central position between Rochdale and Manchester.[7]

During the Middle Ages, Middleton was a centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth production.[citation needed]

The development of Middleton as a centre of commerce occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries as a result of the effect of the Industrial Revolution. Additional to this,

King George III in 1791 to hold a weekly market and three annual summer fairs in Middleton.[5]
Suffield built a market house, warehouses and shambles in the town at his own expense.

Warwick Mill is a former cotton mill in Middleton

Industrial scale

textile manufacture was introduced to Middleton as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Middleton became a centre for silk production in the 18th century, which developed into a cotton spinning industry by the mid-19th century and which continued through to the mid-20th century.[5] This transition gave rise to Middleton as a mill town
.

The town's local newspaper, the Middleton Guardian has a history going back to Victorian times.[8] copies can be found in the local library of every publication since 1908.

JW Lees houses its brewery at Middleton Junction. The brewery owns several pubs in the Greater Manchester
area.

The town was linked to the national rail network until 1964 when

Middleton railway station closed. Mills Hill
is now the nearest station.

Governance

Parkfield House
The coat of arms of the former Middleton Municipal Borough Council, granted by the College of Arms on 28 January 1887. The motto Fortis in Arduis is Latin for Strong in difficulties.

Lying within the

poor law
union.

In 1861 commissioners were established for the improvement of Middleton and

City of Manchester and Chadderton Urban District. In the same year, parts of Unsworth were amalgamated with Middleton, whilst part of it was moved to Royton Urban District. It was proposed in the Redcliffe-Maud Report that Middleton become part of a new Metropolitan Borough of Oldham,[9] however, following the Local Government Act 1972, the Municipal Borough of Middleton was abolished and its territory became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.[1] The council was based at Parkfield House.[10]

The Middleton parliamentary constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. It was abolished in 1918 when Middleton became part of the Middleton and Prestwich constituency.

Today Middleton forms part of the

House of Commons by Chris Clarkson, of the Conservative Party
.

Geography

Further information: Geography of Greater Manchester

At 53°33′17″N 2°11′19″W / 53.55472°N 2.18861°W / 53.55472; -2.18861 (53.5547, −2.1887), Middleton stands on undulated land immediately north of Manchester; the towns of Chadderton and Royton are close to the east. The town of Rochdale lies to the north-northeast. The towns name is derived from Middle-town, from its situation midway between Manchester and Rochdale. It is situated on an ancient road between those places. Middleton town centre is around 220 feet (67 m) above sea level.

Middleton experiences a

temperate maritime climate, like much of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. There is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year.[citation needed
] Middleton is watered by two confluent streams which have their rise in the immediate district.

Much of Middleton's

St. Leonard's Church. The urban structure of Middleton is regular in comparison to most towns in England. Residential dwellings and streets are located around the town centre
.

There is a mixture of high-density

Moston
and Chadderton to the south, and passes to the east of Middleton's town centre before continuing on northwards to Rochdale.

Varyingly agreed divisions and suburbs of Middleton include

Middleton Junction, Thornham and Tonge. Mills Hill
is an area shared between Middleton and Chadderton.

Economy

Industrial

nonwovens producer The Vita Group have a registered office in Middleton.[13] Kitbag operate a distribution centre from Greengate
in Middleton.

JP Travel has been based in Middleton since 1974.[15] Robert McBride, a household and personal care product manufacturers, is also based in the town.[16]

Landmarks

A row of buildings in Middleton's town centre, including one (second from the left) by local born architect Edgar Wood. Several buildings in the town are known to be by Wood.

Several of Middleton's buildings were designed by Edgar Wood, a local-born influential architect of his day. Several in Middleton are landmarks and are notable.[17]

Middleton has recently benefited from redevelopments which have seen the construction of a new sports, leisure and civic centre, 'Middleton Arena'. A large new Tesco supermarket has also just been opened in the town centre.

In the early 1970s, The Arndale Property Trust cleared land adjacent to Middleton Gardens to build an 'American-style' modern shopping precinct. The Middleton Arndale Centre commenced trading in 1971, although it was officially opened by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent in March 1972.

St. Leonard's Church

Church of St Leonard is a Norman, Grade I listed building
.

The

Parish Church of St Leonard was completed in 1524, incorporating two stone arches made of stonework from an earlier Norman church. A wooden Saxon church is believed to have occupied the site long before the Norman church was built, in about 1100.[18]

The present church was built by

Flodden Field in 1513. The church also has one of the finest collections of monumental brasses in the area, including the only brass in the UK of an English Civil War officer in full armour, Major-General Sir Ralph Assheton.[18]

The church was designated a Grade I listed building in 1957.[20] Middleton Archaeological Society (MAS) have been investigating Clarke Brow, a public field next to St Leonard's Square, and carried out its first dig there in August and September 2013. An account of the Society's research can be found on their website[21]

Tonge Hall

Tonge Hall

Tonge Hall is a grade II* listed Tudor structure badly damaged by an arson attack in 2007.[22] Rochdale Council are now (2012) in the process of buying the property from the owner for a nominal sum with a view to restoration. The North West Building Preservation Trust, a registered charity, is likely to take over its long term maintenance.[23]

Middleton Archaeological Society (MAS) has been undertaking research into Tonge and Tonge Hall. The first of these investigations took place in August 2012 and work is ongoing. The MAS website has more information including photographs of the dig at [24]

As of 2019, the building still stands derelict, Surrounded by supporting scaffolding. No work has been undertaken on restoration since the arson attack.

Alkrington Hall

Alkrington Hall was built in 1736 and was the seat of the Lever family. Its dominant position on a wooded hillside, looks out over the Irk Valley
towards Middleton. The original parkland around the hall has now been developed into high end housing.

Old Boar's Head Inn

Situated below the parish church, on Long Street, this was originally a coaching inn on the road between Chester and York. It is said to date from at least 1632 and parts of it date back to the 1500s.

Sport

Middleton is host to many local sports clubs, including Middleton Cricket Club who are currently playing in the Lancashire League (cricket). Four golf clubs are within easy reach of the town centre: North Manchester Golf Glub, The Manchester Golf Club (at Slattocks), Heaton Park Golf Club and Blackley Golf Club.

In January 2009, Middleton saw the opening of a new £13 million sports and leisure venue in the town centre. The Middleton Arena is a joint venture by

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and supermarket chain Tesco
. The facility has replaced the old Middleton Civic Centre and Middleton Leisure Centre, allowing the site currently occupied by these buildings to be cleared for further development into a supermarket.

Middleton is also home to Rochdale Triathlon Club. Weekly coached swimming sessions are currently held at Middleton Arena, Tuesday 7-8pm and Thursday 9-10pm.

Transport

In 2005, the new Middleton bus station was opened to replace the old one, next to the Middleton Arndale shopping centre. The station, with 13 stands, cost £4.5 million and replaced the previous station which dated to the 1970s.[25][26] The majority of services in Middleton are operated by First Greater Manchester and serve destinations including Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside. Frequent services to Manchester city centre are provided by First Greater Manchester's 17/18 overground services as well as service 163. Middleton is located close to junction 19 of the

M60 motorway
.

Mills Hill railway station is on the eastern boundary of town, one mile east of the town centre, with direct services to Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Bolton, Wigan and Leeds. It opened in 1838 and closed in 1842, it was later re-opened in 1985 and remains in use.

Middleton railway station
, near the town centre, was the terminus of a short branch line, which closed to passengers in 1964.

A car chase scene of the 2001 British-made Samuel L. Jackson film The 51st State was filmed on a stretch of the M60 motorway, which runs alongside Rhodes and through Alkrington, just outside the centre of the town.[27]

In May 2021 the Mayor of Greater Manchester asked that Transport for Greater Manchester bring forward a business case for extending the Metrolink tram system to Middleton, as part of a wider regeneration scheme.[28][29]

Education

Further information: List of schools in Rochdale

Almost every part of Middleton is served by a school of some kind, some with religious affiliations. According to the

Office for Standards in Education, schools within the town perform at mixed levels.[citation needed
]

What is presently the Middleton Campus of

Sir Frederick Gibberd, was the architectural prototype for the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. The chapel still exists but its spire is no longer topped with a cross. Hopwood Hall College benefits from its extensive grounds and leisure facilities which were developed over many years by the De La Salle College.[citation needed
]

Notable people

See also:
List of people from Rochdale

"Moonraker" is a

radical writer and politician. He led the Middleton contingent to the meeting at St Peter's Fields in August 1819, pressing for parliamentary reform, which ended in the Peterloo Massacre.[31]

Joel Halliwell (1881 – 1958) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War I. Lee Rigby, British soldier and victim of the 2013 Woolwich attack, was from Middleton.[32]

The Courteeners are also from the area, including frontman Liam Fray.[35] The Chameleons, a post-punk band, was formed in the area, and was described by the Middleton Guardian as "Middleton's most famous export".[36]

Sally Dynevor, an actress in the Manchester-based soap opera Coronation Street is from Middleton.

Notable sportsmen connected with Middleton include

Sir Bobby Charlton
, attended Queen Elizabeth's grammar school; she married Bobby at St Gabriel's church in Middleton.

Fashion designer

Keri-Anne Payne
also attended Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School.

Pacifist Fred Haslam (1897-1979) was born in Middleton.[37]

British soldier Lee Rigby who was murdered by two terrorists in Central London in 2013 is from here.[38]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Places names – M to N. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2007.
  2. ^ "Town population 2011". Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  3. ^ Anon (23 May 2005). "Alkrington". Middleton Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  4. ^
    ISBN 5-00-096678-3
    .
  5. ^ a b c d Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (N.D.), p. 29.
  6. ^ University of Nottingham's Institute for Name-Studies. "Middleton". nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2008. [dead link]
  7. ^ Nicolaisen, Gelling & Richards, The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain, p. 135
  8. ^ "Middleton Guardian". media.info. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  9. ^ Philosophy on councils has yet to emerge. The Times. 8 July 1972
  10. ^ Statham, Nick (28 April 2023). "Former town hall could demolished to make way for new houses and 80-bed care home". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  11. ^ Office for National Statistics (2001). "Census 2001:Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3" (PDF). statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
  12. ^ Office for National Statistics (2001). "Greater Manchester Urban Area". statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original (http) on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  13. ^ The Vita Group. "Locations Worldwide: United Kingdom". thevitagroup.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  14. ^ Bluebird – Contacts Archived 22 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Bus firm gives fire-hit mill new lease of life". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  16. ^ "McBride trades in line with plan". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. 1 November 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  17. ^ Edgar Wood (PDF). Rochdale Link4Life. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  18. ^ a b "The Church Building". Middleton Parish Church. Archived from the original on 29 May 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  19. ^ Mountford, Emma (7 September 2006). "World's oldest war memorial nears milestone". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  20. ^ Historic England. "Middleton, St Leonard (1162332)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  21. ^ "Clarke Brow / St. Leonard's Square | Middleton Archaeological Society". Middletonas.com. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  22. ^ Mountford, Emma (7 June 2007). "Historic Tonge Hall torched". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media.
  23. ^ "Tonge Hall to be sold for £1". Rochdale Online. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Middleton Archaeological Society | Recording Middleton's History and Heritage". Middletonas.com. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  25. ^ "Destination finder: Middleton bus station" (PDF). Transport for Greater Manchester. 24 July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2012.
  26. ^ "Year-old bus station is a design icon". Manchester Evening News. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Meet West Yorkshire's own film and TV set dresser". Yorkshire Evening Post. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019.
  28. ^ "Greater Manchester mayor accelerates franchise bus network plan". BBC News. 10 May 2021.
  29. ^ Williams, Jennifer (10 May 2021). "Andy Burnham unveils public transport vision - and the new colour of our buses". Manchester Evening News.
  30. ^ Moonraking in Middleton at wordpress.com; retrieved 11 September 2018
  31. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1256. Retrieved 15 February 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  32. ^ BBC News - Lee Rigby murder: Woolwich and Middleton face recovery
  33. ^ Kenny, Laura (11 October 2007). "Soccer star parents in robbery terror". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  34. ^ Mountford, Emma (21 June 2007). "Bernard Manning 1930-2007". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media.
  35. ^ Sue, David (8 December 2006). "Courteeners are Legends in Waiting". City Life. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  36. ^ Purdy, Martin (2 November 2006). Brave Andy's big night in the spotlight. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 20 March 2009. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  37. ISBN 0-313-22565-6
    .
  38. ^ "Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale in hospital with Covid-19". BBC News. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Middleton, Greater Manchester.
  • www.link4life.org, A brief history of Middleton.
  • [1], Middleton Archaeological Society covering Middleton's heritage.
  • www.middletontowncentre.co.uk, a guide to Middleton Town Centre with event and regeneration news.
  • www.vmims.com, Historical and genealogical information relating to Middleton.
  • www.statsandmaps.co.uk Stats and Maps is the Rochdale Borough statistics and maps website. It is a shared evidence based that provides quick and easy on-line access to data, information, and intelligence about the borough of Rochdale, and aims to meet the needs of the local community, LSP partners, and the general public.
  • [2]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Middleton,_Greater_Manchester&oldid=1213979942"