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Middleton, Greater Manchester

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Not to be confused with Middleton, Lancashire.

Middleton
St Leonard's Parish Church
Middleton is located in Greater Manchester
Middleton
Middleton
Location within Greater Manchester
Area8.94 sq mi (23.2 km2)
Population42,972 (2011 census)
• Density4,807/sq mi (1,856/km2)
OS grid referenceSD875065
• London190 miles
Metropolitan borough
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] It lies on the river Irk, 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Rochdale and 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Manchester, with Blackley to the south and Moston to the south-east. Middleton had a population of 42,972 at the 2011 census.[2]

History

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Historically part of Lancashire, Middleton's name comes from it being the centre of several circumjacent settlements. It was an ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford, ruled by aristocratic families. The Church of St Leonard is a grade I listed building. The Flodden Window in the church's sanctuary is thought to be the oldest war memorial in the United Kingdom, memorialising the archers of Middleton who fought at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. In 1770, Middleton was a village of twenty houses but, in the 18th and 19th centuries, it grew into a thriving and populous seat of textile manufacture and it was granted municipal borough status in 1886.

"Moonraker" is a nickname sometimes given to people from the town.[3]

Pre-1700

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In 616, Æthelfrith of Bernicia, an Anglo-Saxon King, crossed the Pennines with an army and passed through Manchester to defeat the Brythons in the Battle of Chester.[4] A wave of Anglian colonists followed this military conquest and their settlements are identified by the "ton" Old English suffix to local place names.[4] Royton, Crompton, Moston, Clayton, Ashton, Chadderton and Middleton are a number of settlements north-east of Manchester suggested to have been founded as part of this colonisation. It is therefore thought that Middleton as a settlement dates from the seventh century.[4]

Although unmentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, Middleton is said to be "of great antiquity"; a community at Middleton is thought to have evolved outwards from a church that existed considerably earlier than 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,[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.[5]

1700-1900

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Warwick Mill is a former cotton mill in Middleton

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, Lord Suffield obtained a Royal Charter from King George III in 1791 to hold a weekly market and three annual summer fairs in Middleton. Suffield built a market house, warehouses and shambles in the town at his own expense.[8]

Industrial scale textile manufacture was introduced to Middleton as a result of the Industrial Revolution. It 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. This transition gave rise to Middleton as a mill town.[9]

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

1900-present day

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The town was linked to the National Rail network until 1964, when Middleton and Middleton Junction stations were closed as part of the Beeching Axe.[10]

Governance

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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 "Strength in difficulties"

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire from the early 12th century, Middleton was once an ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford and in Oldham poor law union.

In 1861, commissioners were established for the improvement of Middleton and Tonge townships or civil parishes. In 1878, the township of Alkrington and parts of the townships of Hopwood and Thornham were added to the area of the commissioners. It was in 1886 that this territory was incorporated as a borough.

Following the Local Government Act 1894, parts of Great Heaton and Little Heaton townships were added to the newly created Municipal Borough of Middleton, a local government district in the administrative county of Lancashire. In 1933, there were exchanges of territory between the borough of Middleton, the 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;[11] 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.[12]

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 Heywood and Middleton and Blackley and Middleton South parliamentary constituencies, represented in the House of Commons by Elsie Blundell and Graham Stringer respectively, both of the Labour Party.

Geography

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Further information: Geography of Greater Manchester

Middleton lies 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-north-east. The town's 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.

Engine house at the now derelict Warwick Mill

Much of Middleton's built environment is characterised by its 19th-century red-brick terraced houses, the infrastructure that was built to support these and the town's former cotton mills, although from the middle of the 20th century the town saw the growth of its outlying residential areas of Langley, Hollin and Boarshaw which is predominately ex-local authority housing. The skyline is marked by 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 urban areas, suburbs, and semi-rural locations in Middleton, but overwhelmingly the land use in the town is urban. The territory of Middleton is contiguous with other urban areas on its southern and eastern sides, and for purposes of the Office for National Statistics, forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area,[13][14] the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation.

Varyingly agreed divisions and suburbs of Middleton include Alkrington, Birch, Bowlee, Boarshaw, Cheapside, Greengate, Hebers, Hollin, Hopwood, Jumbo, Langley, Moorclose, Rhodes, Stake Hill, Middleton Junction, Thornham and Tonge. Mills Hill is an area shared between Middleton and Chadderton.

Langley in the north of the town was one of Manchester City Council's overspill estates, whilst Alkrington in the south is a suburban area.[15]

Economy

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Middleton's town centre is mostly commercial, with Tesco and Middleton Arndale occupying the majority of the town centre. Middleton Gardens also contains many businesses and pubs.

Industrial polymer, thermoplastics and nonwovens producer The Vita Group have a registered office in Middleton.[16] Kitbag operates a distribution centre from Greengate.

Bluebird Bus and Coach was a travel company based in Middleton.[17] Bus company JP Travel was also based in Middleton.[18]

Robert McBride, a household and personal care product manufacturers, is also based in the town.[19]

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

Landmarks

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A row of buildings in Middleton's town centre, including one (second from the left) by locally-born architect Edgar 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.[20]

Entrance to the Middleton Arndale

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 the Duchess of Kent in March 1972.

St Leonard's Church

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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.[21]

The present church was built by Sir Richard Assheton, in celebration of the knighthood granted to him by Henry VIII for his part in the Battle of Flodden, the largest battle ever fought between England and Scotland. The Flodden Window, in the sanctuary, is thought to be the oldest war memorial in the UK.[22] It memorialises on it the names of the Middleton archers who fought at 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.[21]

The church was designated a grade I listed building in 1957.[23] 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[24]

Tonge Hall

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Tonge Hall

Tonge Hall is a grade II* listed[25] Tudor structure badly damaged by an arson attack in 2007.[26] 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.[27]

MAS undertook research into Tonge and Tonge Hall. The first of these investigations took place in August 2012 and work is ongoing.[28]

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

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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 and is a grade II* listed building.[29] Some of the original parkland around the hall has now been developed into high end housing, while the rest is a local nature reserve, Alkrington Wood.

Ye Olde Boar's Head

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Situated below the parish church, on Long Street, Ye Olde Boar's Head was originally a coaching inn on the road between Chester and York. It is said to date from at least 1632, with parts of it date back to the 1500s. It is a grade II* listed building.[30]

Warwick Mill

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This building is situated on Oldham Road, opposite the Middleton office of the Greater Manchester Police. Warwick Mill was a cotton mill built in 1907, with five machine floors within. It is a grade II listed building[31] and currently sits derelict, although plans have been made to convert the building several times, none of which have been carried out.

Lodge Mill

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Lodge Mill as seen from Townley Street

Lodge Mill is reputedly Middleton's oldest surviving mill. Situated opposite to the old substation, the building dates back to 1839, and was a silk and cotton mill. A fire on 30 December 2021 damaged the back mill; further damage was caused to the front mill when, during demolition of the back mill, the back of the engine house for the front mill was accidentally demolished. The front mill is currently occupied by a local ice cream parlour.

Education

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Hopwood Hall College
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]

Primary schools include St. Peter's Roman Catholic, Alkrington, St. Michael’s CofE, St. Thomas-More’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Bowlee Park Community and Middleton Parish School.

Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School, formerly Cardinal Langley Grammar School, is one of the local secondary schools; others are Middleton Technology School, the Edgar Wood Academy and St. Anne's Academy.

Further education is provided by the sixth form at Cardinal Langley, as well as the Middleton campus of Hopwood Hall College. From 1946 to 1989, the campus was used by the De La Salle Catholic college of higher education affiliated to the Victoria University of Manchester. Founded as a teacher training college, the chapel, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, was the architectural prototype for the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. The chapel still exists on the campus, known as the Milnrow building, 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]

Transport

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Middleton bus station

The majority of services in Middleton are operated by Stagecoach Manchester, serving destinations across Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester.[32] In 2005, the new Middleton bus station was opened to next to the shopping centre. The station, with 13 stands, cost £4.5 million; its predecessor dated to the 1970s.[33][34]

Middleton is located close to junction 19 of the M62 motorway which passes to the north. The M60 passes to the south of the town, which is accessed at junction 21 in Rhodes.

Bridge over A669 at Mills Hill station

Mills Hill railway station lies 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the town centre, on the Caldervale Line. Northern Trains operates direct services to Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Bolton, Wigan Wallgate and Leeds.[35]

In May 2021, the Mayor of Greater Manchester asked Transport for Greater Manchester to bring forward a business case for extending the Metrolink tram system to Middleton, as part of a wider regeneration scheme.[36][37]

Sport

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The pavilion at Middleton Cricket Club, Hollin Lane

Middleton Cricket Club play 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. The town had a football club, Middleton F.C. from 1878 to 1902.

Middleton Arena

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 formerly occupied by these buildings to be cleared for further development into a supermarket. This resulted in the opening of a large Tesco Extra supermarket in July 2013.[38]

Middleton is also home to Rochdale Triathlon Club. The Hopwood Hall College offers a gym both to its students and members of the general public.

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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.[39]

Notable people

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See also: List of people from Rochdale

Middleton has been the birthplace and home to notable people, of national and international acclaim:

Notable sporting figures include:

Caricature of Walter Durnford in Vanity Fair, 1902

See also

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References

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Citations

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  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". City Population. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  3. ^ Williams, Jennifer (11 January 2013). "Rochdale Council bids to end Middleton Moonraker art confusion". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Ballard, Elsie (1986) [1967]. A Chronicle of Crompton (2nd ed.). Royton: Burnage Press Limited. ISBN 5-00-096678-3.
  5. ^ a b "Middleton, Lancashire". Gazetteer of British Place Names. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  6. ^ "Middleton". University of Nottingham's Institute for Name-Studies. Retrieved 15 February 2008. [dead link]
  7. ^ Nicolaisen, W.F.H.; Gelling, Margaret; Richards, Melville (1970). The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain. Batsford, London. p. 135. ISBN 0-713-40113-3.
  8. ^ "Old Market Place, blue plaque in Middleton". Rochdale Borough Council. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  9. ^ "Our town". Middleton Archaeological Society. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  10. ^ Quick 2022, p. 314.
  11. ^ Philosophy on councils has yet to emerge. The Times. 8 July 1972
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Census 2001:Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3" (PDF). Office for National Statistics. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
  14. ^ "Greater Manchester Urban Area". Office for National Statistics. 2001. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  15. ^ "Alkrington". Middleton Guardian. 23 May 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  16. ^ "Locations Worldwide: United Kingdom". The Vita Group. Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  17. ^ "Contacts". Bluebird. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008.
  18. ^ "Bus firm gives fire-hit mill new lease of life". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. ^ "McBride trades in line with plan". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. 1 November 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  20. ^ Edgar Wood (PDF). Rochdale Link4Life. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  21. ^ a b "The Church Building". Middleton Parish Church. Archived from the original on 29 May 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Leonard (Grade I) (1162332)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Clarke Brow / St. Leonard's Square | Middleton Archaeological Society". Middletonas.com. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Tonge Hall (Grade II*) (1068469)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  26. ^ Mountford, Emma (7 June 2007). "Historic Tonge Hall torched". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media.
  27. ^ "Tonge Hall to be sold for £1". Rochdale Online. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  28. ^ "Recording Middleton's History and Heritage". Middleton Archaeological Society. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  29. ^ Historic England. "Alkrington Hall (Grade II*) (1068499)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  30. ^ Historic England. "Ye Olde Boars Head Public House (Grade II*) (1162256)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  31. ^ Historic England. "Warwick Mill including adjoining railings (Grade II) (1356232)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  32. ^ "Middleton bus services". Bustimes.org. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  33. ^ "Destination finder: Middleton bus station" (PDF). Transport for Greater Manchester. 24 July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2012.
  34. ^ "Year-old bus station is a design icon". Manchester Evening News. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  35. ^ "Train Timetables". Northern Railway. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  36. ^ "Greater Manchester mayor accelerates franchise bus network plan". BBC News. 10 May 2021.
  37. ^ Williams, Jennifer (10 May 2021). "Andy Burnham unveils public transport vision - and the new colour of our buses". Manchester Evening News.
  38. ^ "Hero's welcome awaits at Tesco store opening". Manchester Evening News. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Meet West Yorkshire's own film and TV set dresser". Yorkshire Evening Post. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019.
  40. ^ Hunt, William (1892). "Langley, Thomas (d.1437)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 32. pp. 112–114.
  41. ^ Creighton, Mandell (1891). "Holt, William" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 27. pp. 208–209.
  42. ^ Spence, Peter (September 2004). "Bamford, Samuel (1788–1872)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1256. Retrieved 15 February 2008. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  43. ^ "Lee Rigby murder: Woolwich and Middleton face recovery". BBC News.
  44. ^ Josephson, Harold (1985). Biographical Dictionary of Modern Peace Leaders. Connecticut: Greenwood. pp. 386–7. ISBN 0-313-22565-6.
  45. ^ Kenny, Laura (11 October 2007). "Soccer star parents in robbery terror". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  46. ^ Mountford, Emma (21 June 2007). "Bernard Manning 1930-2007". Middleton Guardian.
  47. ^ Sue, David (8 December 2006). "Courteeners are Legends in Waiting". City Life. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  48. ^ Purdy, Martin (2 November 2006). "Brave Andy's big night in the spotlight". Middleton Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  49. ^ Blacker, Beaver Henry. "Jones, Thomas (1550?-1619)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30. pp. 163–164.
  50. ^ Axon, William E. A. "Assheton, William" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 02. pp. 199–201.
  51. ^ Axon, William E.A. (1886). "Burton, Charles (1793-1866)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 08. pp. 1–2.
  52. ^ Sutton, Charles William. "Durnford, Richard" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 2. pp. 170–171.

Bibliography

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