Middlebrook, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Middlebrook is a locality that spans the boundaries of Horwich
and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
, Greater Manchester
, England.
Historically
part of Lancashire
, the name Middlebrook is derived from the watercourse
which starts at Red Moss, the mossland south of Horwich. Further downstream the Middlebrook joins with other tributaries
and becomes the River Croal
which runs through Bolton
and eventually joins the River Irwell
at Kearsley
.
Middlebrook is an out-of-town complex of retail
, leisure
and business
parks and location of the Reebok Stadium
and Horwich Police Station.
Before the stadium and retail park were built Middlebrook was the site of Sefton Fold Farm in Horwich. The 1666 timber-framed farmhouse was re-built in 1811. Before demolition in 1996 the University of Manchester
's Archaeological
Unit spent three weeks on the Sefton Fold Farm site. The team excavated a moated site of late mediaeval origins and pottery believed to date from the late 16th or early 17th centuries was found. When development started, the site was partly covered by a roundabout
. The farmhouse's 1666/1811 date stone, 1860s cooking range
and other items were saved and can be seen at the Heritage Centre
in Horwich
.
, ten-pin bowling
alley, café
s and restaurant
s, two hotel
s, and the Bolton Arena
Sports & Leisure Complex. Horwich Police Station
is located on Burnden Way at the Middlebrook site. At the centre of the site is the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers F.C.
which was inaugurated on 1 September 1997 when the first game between Bolton and Everton
was played.
. The A6027 connects the A6
with the motorway, the retail and business parks and the A673 road to Horwich and Bolton. There is a regular train service provided by Northern Rail
at Horwich Parkway railway station
where there is a Park and Ride
facility with trains to Bolton, Manchester and Preston. There are also bus services which include the 505, 514, 516/517 and 714.
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the name Middlebrook is derived from the watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
which starts at Red Moss, the mossland south of Horwich. Further downstream the Middlebrook joins with other tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
and becomes the River Croal
River Croal
The River Croal is a river located in Greater Manchester, England. It is a tributary of the River Irwell.Rising at the confluence of Middle Brook and Deane Church Brook, it flows eastwards through Bolton, collecting Gilnow Brook and the larger River Tonge at Darcy Lever...
which runs through Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and eventually joins the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
at Kearsley
Kearsley
Kearsley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it lies about 7½ miles northwest of Manchester,5.5 miles south-west of Bury, and about 3¾ miles south of Bolton.It is bounded on the west by Walkden, the east by...
.
Middlebrook is an out-of-town complex of retail
Retail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
, leisure
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
and business
Business park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
parks and location of the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
and Horwich Police Station.
History
The name Middlebrook (or Middle Brook) comes from the Old English words "mycel" and "broc" meaning "great brook". In 1292 the name was written "Mikelbrok" and over the centuries it became Middlebrook.Before the stadium and retail park were built Middlebrook was the site of Sefton Fold Farm in Horwich. The 1666 timber-framed farmhouse was re-built in 1811. Before demolition in 1996 the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
's Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Unit spent three weeks on the Sefton Fold Farm site. The team excavated a moated site of late mediaeval origins and pottery believed to date from the late 16th or early 17th centuries was found. When development started, the site was partly covered by a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
. The farmhouse's 1666/1811 date stone, 1860s cooking range
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
and other items were saved and can be seen at the Heritage Centre
Heritage centre
A heritage centre is a museum facility primarily dedicated to the presentation of historical and cultural information about a place and its people, including, to some degree, natural features...
in Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
.
Development
Construction on the 200 acre Middlebrook retail, leisure and business complex started in 1996 and the first businesses were operating from the site in 1998. The out-of-town retail centre, contains retail shops and stores, a twelve screen cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
alley, café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, two hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, and the Bolton Arena
Bolton Arena
The Bolton Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located at Middlebrook on the boundary between Horwich and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England....
Sports & Leisure Complex. Horwich Police Station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
is located on Burnden Way at the Middlebrook site. At the centre of the site is the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
which was inaugurated on 1 September 1997 when the first game between Bolton and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
was played.
Transport
The Middlebrook site is adjacent to Junction 6 of the M61 motorwayM61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
. The A6027 connects the A6
A6 road
The A6 is one of the main historic north south roads in England. It currently runs from Luton in Bedfordshire to Carlisle in Cumbria, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet....
with the motorway, the retail and business parks and the A673 road to Horwich and Bolton. There is a regular train service provided by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
at Horwich Parkway railway station
Horwich Parkway railway station
Horwich Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Horwich and Middlebrook near Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically located within Lancashire, the station is 16¼ miles north west of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Preston commuter line...
where there is a Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facility with trains to Bolton, Manchester and Preston. There are also bus services which include the 505, 514, 516/517 and 714.