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King Street, MANCHESTER, M24 6BL

The Ring o’ Bells is reputed to be one of the oldest buildings in Middleton; historically, the pub’s foundations are thought to date back to Saxon times. The pub is said to be haunted by the ghost of a sad Cavalier known as Edward, and by poltergeists. According to "The Middleton Heritage Trail" leaflet (www.middleton-heritage-trail.org.uk ) the ghost is said to throw stones, glasses and other objects around the bar while its footsteps have been heard around the pub.

A notable feature of the exterior of St Leonard's Church is the curious wooden belfry; St Leonard's Church has one of the three remaining wooden church towers in existence in Britain. Described locally as "a wooden steeple for stubborn people", the wooden belfry was added on top of the mediæval tower in 1666, to enable a new set of bells to be added. It has been suggested that wood was used because the sandy foundations of the tower would not bear the additional weight of a stone extension. Another theory is that the wooden structure would allow a sweeter tone to be heard from the bells.

This is the "other" window in the sanctuary. Sited in the north wall of the sanctuary, opposite the much more famous Image

A notable feature of the exterior of St Leonard's Church is the curious wooden belfry; St Leonard's Church has one of the three remaining wooden church towers in existence in Britain. Described locally as "a wooden steeple for stubborn people", the wooden belfry was added on top of the mediæval tower in 1666, to enable a new set of bells to be added. It has been suggested that wood was used because the sandy foundations of the tower would not bear the additional weight of a stone extension. Another theory is that the wooden structure would allow a sweeter tone to be heard from the bells.

A Blue Plaque supported by both the Middleton Civic Association and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The text reads as follows: "St Leonard's Square Once a focal point for the old town which before the Industrial Revolution occupied the ridge towards Rochdale. Nearby street names - High Street and Cheapside - identify the old town. Cottage silk weaving was practised in the surrounding area."

Plaque commemorating Middleton's connection with the 1819 Peterloo Massacre in nearby Manchester. A meeting of people demanding Parliamentary reform gathering in St Peter's Fields, Manchester was broken up by troops and the leaders arrested. Eleven demonstrators were killed and many injured.

This stained glass window, a memorial to the Middleton men who fought in the Boer War, was designed by famous church architect, George F Bodley. The upper lights contain representations of (left to right) St George, St Michael and Gideon. Below them are soldiers; the illustrated faces belong to some of the men who went to fight in South Africa Image