A "GOLDEN CLUSTER" OF HERITAGE
On Thursday 26th February Middleton Archaeological Society held their regular monthly event at the Sessions Room at the Olde Boar’s Head. They hosted Ruth Nugent from the University of Chester. Ruth’s talk was entitled “Dead at Chester Cathedral: the burials and commemorations at the cathedral”. The talk was extremely interesting and very well presented. Ruth…
We had a good Edgar Wood Society committee meeting on Thursday (12th Feb). One of the things we decided was to set up a research group to look at the key historical figures around Edgar Wood and Long Street Methodist Church. Much of what we put together with be incorporated into the planned ‘Romantic Middleton…
I hope you had a pleasant Christmas. Today, Boxing Day, has been an industrious one for me. Although I did allow myself a brief distraction at lunch time for a visit to MAS HQ – The Olde Boar’s Head for lunch and a pint (or two). However, much of the day has been spent creating…
The turn out for yesterday’s talk was amazing, standing room only, the best indoor event so far. Professor Colin Richards of Manchester University, gave an excellent and thorough decription and explanation of Thor Heyerdahl’s famous 1955 expedition to Easter Island. The audience went through stages of admiration for Thor but then the opposite – even deep…
This evening I had the honour of presenting to the Middleton Civic Association on behalf of Middleton Archaeological Society at their monthly meeting at the Olde Boars Head. The talk I presented was about the formation of the Middleton Archaeological Society and detail of our recent investigation at Clarke Brow / St. Leonard’s Square. What…
Kerry Beeston gave over twenty members of Middleton Archaeological Society a detailed insight into what it is like working in the finds hut of excavations. She gave practtical advice on the different types of finds and how to clean and date them. She brought different types of finds and tools for the audience to handle…
At the AGM on Saturday 25th October, the Friends of the Edgar Wood Centre changed their name, after a year or so deliberating. The use of the name Edgar Wood Centre for Long Street Methodist Church and School never really took off. There was also a bit of confusion between the Manchester Edgar Wood Centre…
It is believed that Ye Olde Boar’s Head P.H. began life in the 1600s as a pair of clothiers houses on the road between Manchester and Rochdale. At that time, the textile industry was based in houses, where the upper rooms had long rows of windows illuminating the weaving loomshops. The houses were later combined…
The Levers were a merchant family who had acquired large estates in the Manchester and Middleton areas during the Renaissance period of the 1600s. In 1736, Sir Darcy Lever decided to rebuild his family home, Alkrington Hall. Rather than going to local builders, he employed an Enlightenment architect of national importance, an Italian from Venice…
Long Street Methodist Church & Schools are a striking complex of connected buildings arranged around a courtyard garden – the finest Arts and Crafts Methodist Church anywhere. The church is open for worship on Sundays and other days CLICK HERE for details. Guided tours for groups are also available, CLICK HERE for details. Tours also…
The origins of Middleton ‘juxta Manchester’ – tales of Anglo Saxons, Vikings, St. Cuthbert, St. Leonard, the Black Death, Thomas Langley and the Middleton Black Knight! …
Visit the Old Grammar School web site to arrange a party, reception or other function Queen Elizabeth Grammar School was built in 1586 to replace the chantry school at St. Leonard’s Church which was abolished in the Reformation. When it was built, there was no town of Middleton but a rural township with scattered buildings…
The original Long Street Methodist Sunday School was a unique place of learning for those without a weekday education. Edgar Wood used the forms and materials of rural buildings to create a school which looked forward to a civilised future where natural beauty and education went together. The school was published across Britain, Europe and…
Edgar Wood and J. Henry Sellers had met up in 1903 and quickly began working on a new type of ‘cubic’ architecture using reinforced concrete and to create buildings not possible with traditional roofs. Elm Street School (now Elm Wood School) was designed as a ‘Board School’. However, it was radically different to the other…
