A "GOLDEN CLUSTER" OF HERITAGE
The superb Cargo of Curiosities pop-up museum and exhibition in celebration of Ashton Lever’s pioneering museum in the same building 250 years ago is to open for its final weekend on Fri 25 Nov, Sat 26 Nov Sun and 27 Nov 13:00 – 16:00 Don’t miss this fun way to see one of Middleton’s finest…
Since the discovery that Ye Olde Boar’s Head opened as a public house in 1623 and has been going strong since, people are wondering whether it might be the oldest pub in the country. This depends what you mean. It is certainly not the oldest pub on a particular site but it just might be the oldest pub building in continuous use. Here is a Daily Telegraph article on the competition… note the one in Bolton, which looks a little bit like the Old Boar.
As if to conclude the Middleton Archaeological Society’s in depth study on Ye Olde Boar’s Head P.H., local artist Steve Whitworth has produced an illustration of how it looked when it was first built… which is surprisingly like it does now! CLICK HERE to see the picture and post.
Today’s hot lime workshop at St Leonard’s in Middleton involved experts Aura Conservation and Rupert Hilton (who took these photos). What is hot lime mortar? Who is Rupert Hilton? Who are Aura Conservation? It’s good to see St. Leonard’s supporting the best in conservation…
Middleton Archaeological Society has completed two reports on recent activities at Hopwood Millers Cottage 2015 and the pavement investigation at the Old Boar’s Head 2016. CLICK HERE to download them.
Last Night’s Digging for Britain programme on the BBC covered the archaeological dig at Starr Carr which was the subject of one of the Middleton Archaeological Society’s lectures last year. The programme is a good catch-up to that lecture. Click Here to watch it on BBC iPlayer…
Home of renowned Middleton architect Edgar Wood is given a facelift Click HERE for the Manchester Evening News article…
Many Wood and Sellers enthusiasts popped into the Wood and Sellers evening and exhibition on March 10th at Manchester Metropolitan University. The event celebrated the two architects’ contribution to Greater Manchester’s architectural heritage and included Edgar Wood’s watercolour of J. Henry Sellers’ design for Lee House, Manchester. The painting shows how these Arts & Crafts…
The Middleton Archaeological Society research project on Ye Olde Boar’s Head P.H. is now heading towards some strong conclusions. The latest bit of the jigsaw slotted into place with an excavation of the pavement adjacent the building. Details are HERE.
This was the third get together of Middleton’s researchers – six researchers attended with apologies from another five. Cliff reported on his work at Preston Record office and his new ability to read early documents. He has progressed work on the Ambrose Jackson, one of the graffiti contributors at the OBH. Ann Faloon is also…
Edgar Wood’s Middleton home, Redcroft (1891), is been painstakingly restored as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund THI scheme run by the Council and Middleton Heritage. The work is being overseen by conservation surveyors Alan Gardner and Rupert Hilton under the watchful eye of the Council’s conservation officer, Sue Oakley, and is being funded by…
Baguley Hall, Wythenshaw – Roger May, Wikimedia Commons
Here is a selection of refurbishment news for Greater Manchester’s heritage. Just click on the links…
Historic Baguley Hall loses out on £1.5m of funding as agency withdraws cash offer
Urban Splash reveals plans for Stubbs Mill
Manchester’s oldest construction firm moves to Ancoats landmark
Chorlton Library to get major refurbishment
March start for £4.6m Bury Met revamp
You can now download the full tree ring dating report on Ye Olde Boar’s Head P.H. from the Middleton Archaeology Society web site https://middletonas.com/tree-ring-dating-of-the-old-boars-head/
Saving a Century – Victorian Society Exhibition The Victorian Society’s photographic exhibition Saving a Century, curated by noted architectural historian Gavin Stamp, is on show free of charge at The John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH, from 8 January – 24 March, daily during Library hours. Using archive photographs and material from over…
A collection of documents and photographs about Edgar Wood’s Arkholme, 1 Towncroft Avenue formerly belonging to the Taylor family is to go to the Edgar Wood Middleton archive, thanks to historian Geoff Wellens. The collection is a crucial source of information on what is Edgar Wood’s very first flat roofed design. It was erected in…
Manchester Evening News report on Ye Olde Boar’s Head tree ring dating – Click Here
This exhibition about the last 150 years of the Manchester Architects Society has been running since December 2015 but closes on 18th March 2016 – so don’t miss it! OPENING TIMES – FREE ADMISSION Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm Thursday 10am – 7pm (term-time only) Saturday 12noon – 4pm (term-time only) Location – Special…
Photos show progress of £4.9m project to reopen River RochThis visionary project for Rochdale town centre is nearing completion and is shortlisted for an award. Click Here for the report and aerial photos.
The photo-montage opposite combines a Victorian photo of the river with the modern scene and was one of the early illustrations of the potential of the river reopening.
Archaeologists are using Environment Agency laser mapping data to rediscover hundreds of kilometres of ‘lost’ Roman roads.
Since 1998 the Environment Agency has used lasers to scan and map the English landscape from above to help with work such as flood modeling and tracking changing coastlines. But these LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data are also publicly available and have been used to help with everything from building virtual worlds to managing forests. In particular, it is helping to find lost Roman roads across the north of England. Click Here for the article.
The ‘Toast Rack’, Photo by Mikey aka Gene Hunt
Long maligned as eyesores and an offence to human values, modernist architecture is enjoying a passionate upsurge in interest. Edgar Wood admirer and all round modernist, Eddy Rhead, features in an excellent overview of Manchester’s brutalist architecture. Click HERE to read the article.
