Welcome to the town of Middleton and thisismiddleton.co.uk!

This websites purpose is to tell the story of Middleton, it's history, it's buildings and of course it's people.  Middleton is a truly ancient place with it's roots stretching back 1,500 years, maybe even further.

The name Middleton could have been derived from the Old English middel-tūn, which means the middle farm or settlement in reference, perhaps, to the towns location between Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester.

Middleton is home to a number of significant architectural gems including the Grade I listed St. Leonard's Parish Church and more than our fair share of Edgar Wood designed buildings including the magnificent Long Street Methodist Church.

Middleton's parish church, St. Leonard's dates back to Saxon times when it was a small church of wooden construction.  A Norman stone church was then constructed, it was completed around 1100.

Within Middleton parish church is what many believe to be the oldest War Memorial in existence in the United Kingdom, the Flodden Window was commissioned by Sir Richard Assheton, the then lord of the manor  and it commemorates and lists the names of all the Archers of Middleton who fought on Flodden Field in 1513.

Middleton was home to the world renowned Architect and Designer Edgar Wood and is home to many of his fantastic buildings.

Today the town is home to around 45,000 people and looks to be enjoying somewhat of a revival with the newly completed Middleton Arena, along with proposed improvements to the towns open spaces and street scene and major new investment from a supermarket chain.

The website illustrates to our citizens old and new and to a wider audience our town of Middleton.  Pages have been devoted to some of the town's very colourful characters from the past including, these include Cardinal Thomas Langley, a Middletonian who became one of the most powerful people in England as Lord Chancellor, Samuel Bamford Middleton's own Author, Poet, Silk Weaver and Radical and Middleton's long time ruling family - the Asshetons.

Please take a moment to explore and enjoy the website, it is a work in progress just like Middleton over the ages, many subjects are still being researched, please feel free to add your suggestions by email.

If you have any stories or photographs you would like adding please email them to the address at the top of the page.

Enjoy your visit and please visit again soon.