Sam Bamford Trail – Middleton town centre

Overview

Samuel Bamford (28 February 1788 – 13 April 1872), was an English radical reformer and writer born in Middleton. He wrote in and on the subject of Lancashire English dialect. In August 1819, he led a group from Middleton to St Peter’s Fields, Manchester for a meeting that pressed for parliamentary reform and repeal of the Corn Laws. There they witnessed the Peterloo Massacre, and Bamford was arrested, charged with treason and sentenced to a year in Lincoln prison.

This trail aims to give an impression of the Middleton which Sam knew. It draws attention to some of the buildings which Sam would know and recognise today and to some of the events in his life connected with those buildings.

Accessibility

Although the trail is almost all on paved surfaces, the centre of Middleton around the church is built on a hill. This means that there are several slopes. There are also cobbled sections. The walk is therefore not rated as accessible for wheelchair users and those with pushchairs.

How to get there

The walk shown in the leaflet finishes at the Olde Boar’s Head pub. As this is only about 200 m from the start point at the church, we list only the start point here.

To work out how to get to and from the walk start point, simply click the Google Maps link shown on this page. Then click ‘Directions’ and enter your postcode or location in the relevant field. For public transport options, click the train icon.

Alternatively, input the postcode shown into the TFGM journey planner at https://my.tfgm.com/#/planner/