A "GOLDEN CLUSTER" OF HERITAGE
This was our ‘wrap up’ meeting with Locality expert Zoe Goddard. She took us through the income streams which will form part of the Trust’s business plan for the Edgar Wood Centre. The meeting was keen to press on with enhancing the Lecture Room and to write to the Heritage Lottery Fund about our recent…
Today (20th May), we met up with our surveyor and Jubilee to discuss further the possibility of holding weddings and receptions in the Edgar Wood Centre and what is needed to make the interiors more appropriate. It was a good meeting and we concluded that the Lecture Room was the best option to develop first…
On Saturday 9th May, The hall at the Edgar Wood Centre became the venue for the Wilson Potter Brewery ‘Saturday Soiree’. As well as enjoying a range of craft beers, brewed here in Middleton, guests had the opportunity to look around the Arts & Crafts Church & school buildings and learn about Middleton’s revolutionary architect,…
The ‘Old Boar’ is one of the ancient buildings of the Middleton ‘Golden Cluster’ but nobody quite knows what is was built for originally, before it became a public house in the eighteenth century. The archaeological society has therefore set up a work group to try to understand the building, discover more about its early…
On Thursday (30th April) Middleton Archaeology Society hosted a fascinating and entertaining talk by Glen Atkinson about the building of the Manchester Ship Canal,entitled “The Big Ditch”. Using original Victorian glass slides he highlighted the contrasts between building methods at the end of 19th century and now. There were no strict Health and Safety rules,…
A miscellany of April’s heritage news items……
Twenty members of the Family History Group descended on the Edgar Wood Centre, Long Street for their first meeting at the venue. They had a quick tour of the wider buildings, including the Arts & Crafts Church, as part of the meeting. We hope they find it suitable for their needs…
Alkrington Hall, Middleton was built by Giacomo Leoni (1686 – June 8, 1746), an Italian architect born in Venice. He was an enthusiastic pioneer of the eighteenth century Palladian style which swept the English speaking world. Due to numerous demolitions over time, his buildings are now extremely rare. Tragically, one of the best, Clandon House,…
Tuesday 28th April was one of those busy days at the Arts & Crafts Church buildings when several activities came together at the same time. While the Methodists were having their usual Tuesday meeting in the church, next door there was a steady traffic of people. One group was moving the Middleton History Library over…
Middleton Archaeological Society’s study of Ye Olde Boar’s Head P.H. is making good progress. A large part is due to the contribution of the architect who oversaw the building’s restoration in 1981. Douglas Newton has provided a series of photographs of the building when under repair, including hidden parts in the roof and areas where…
It was a warm evening (too warm, perhaps – we contemplated changing rooms) but there was a relaxed atmosphere at yesterday’s Middleton Heritage meeting (Tuesday 6pm, 21st April). The Family History Group joined us as we worked out details and options of how best the society could use the facilities for its weekly meetings. There…
Middleton Archaeological Society is undertaking a five-day exploratory dig at the demolished mill cottage in the grounds of Hopwood Hall. Follow the dig here. A full list of dates is here. Located 300 yards from the Grade 2 listed Hopwood Hall and next to the splendid remains of a Corn Mill and pond. The Miller’s…
In 1912 Edgar Wood built his final pair of semi-detached houses, 165–167 Manchester Old Road, Middleton, adjacent to his very first pair, West Lea of 1887. In doing so, he created one of the most unusual semis of his career – a striking building that fascinates everyone who takes time to look at it. The…
We had a good meeting tonight (31st March 2015) working through a mix of detailed issues and broad aims about how we want to celebrate Middleton’s heritage and involve local people. Concerning the Heritage Lottery application, we agreed an outline for a local digital archive and history library, (still more idea than scheme) and asked…
A miscellany of recent news items across the web……
Dr. Chantal Conneller gave a fascinating lecture at the Old Boar’s Head P.H. on Thursday evening (26th March 2015), organised by Middleton Archaeological Society. Dr. Conneller is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Manchester but also expert in flint technology and refitting co-director at Starr Carr, the Mesolithic archaeological site near Scarborough,…
The Locality led workshop was a two part affair last night (25th March) as we split into groups, one working up the Awards for All grant for the new Urban Village Hall with Lindsey and Chris, while the other concentrated on the history library and archive project. Nevertheless, it was a successful evening with a…
The Middleton Archaeological Society weekend excavation adjacent to Grade II* listed Tonge Hall is underway. The dig is exploring the area once covered by the Hall’s farm buildings. Follow the blog here…
It was a great workshop last night as we began to bring the Locality-led project to a close. We began with Chris handing over our articles of incorporation to Christine (company secretary) and quickly moved into a discussion about the Urban Village Hall project. We are now ready for an Awards for All bid on…
The group met at 6pm on Thursday (5th March) at the Old Grammar School. We wanted to see the good work done there with regard to heritage, to help us progress our ideas for Long Street School. It’s an absolutely gorgeous building and we think the oldest in England (that has not been altered or…
