Middleton is perfect for those interested in fascinating history and heritage, where its Golden Cluster and various blue plaque buildings are a packed day out for anyone.
Our Townscape Heritage Initiative has seen the restoration of a number of buildings in the town created by the late Arts and Crafts architect Edgar Wood, while the planned redevelopment of Warwick Mill is expected to bring £50 million into the local economy. The Middleton Arena is a thriving entertainment venue that regularly plays host to top live acts and entertainers.
History of Middleton
Middleton would have looked very different today had it not been for the famous architect Edgar Wood, an influential proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement. He sent his life reshaping the town and designed more than 60 buildings in Middleton and its vicinity. St Leonard's Parish Church, Queen Elizabeth Free Grammar School, The Olde Boar's Head and the Edgar Wood Centre, Long Street Methodist Church all form part of the Golden Cluster.
Middleton gained its market charter in 1791. In the late 18th century Middleton was a village with 20 houses, and yet it boasted a grammar school. Like many other villages and towns in the area, the 1780s began to see a growth in population and trade. Middleton was a centre for silk manufacturing at that time, and silk weaving was still described as the chief trade in 1901, alongside a fast growing cotton trade, with its calico printing, bleaching and dying. Middleton handloom weavers were depicted by the artist Frederick W Jackson.
Other allied trades included iron foundries, engineering, soap manufacture and chemical production. As with other towns, the increase in population and industry led to rapid urbanisation with a concurrent depletion of countryside. Alongside the industrial growth and the increasing population came unrest and radical politics. Middleton had Luddite riots and was the home of the Radical writer, Sam Bamford.
The people of Middleton, like their neighbours in the surrounding areas, celebrated the local traditions of the Pace Egg and Rushbearing. Sam Bamford, in his autobiography 'Early Days' in 1848, wrote about the Rushbearing in the chapter on 'The Wakes.'
More things to do in Middleton
There are lots of activites and places to visit in Middleton. Use the search function above to find things to do in the area, such as what's on, shopping and more.
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