Parkfield House , Middleton

Parkfield House, originally commissioned by local magistrate Thomas Ashton in the early 19th century, stands as a significant historical landmark. Built in the first half of the 1800s, the house was located on the north side of Manchester Old Road, directly opposite the entrance to Alkrington Park Road. Designed in the elegant Georgian style and constructed from ashlar stone, it became Ashton's primary residence by 1848.

Around 1870, the property was acquired by another local magistrate, Harvey Heywood, who continued to preserve its legacy. In 1886, as the area gained municipal borough status, Middleton Borough Council replaced the local improvement commissioners. Heywood, a prominent figure in the area, became the first mayor of the newly formed borough council, which initially operated from the old town hall on Gas Street. 

Following Heywood's death in 1920, his widow, Harriette Heywood, sold Parkfield House to Middleton Borough Council in 1925, which would later use it as its administrative headquarters. In 1927, a Garden of Remembrance with a colonnade was created on the west side of the house, commemorated by Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Livingstone Lees of the 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.

As the responsibilities of the borough council grew, it became apparent that a more modern building was needed to accommodate the council’s expanding needs. In 1965, a new four-storey structure was built on land between the original house and the Garden of Remembrance. Designed by Tom Ellis of Lyons Israel Ellis, this building, constructed in the stark brutalist style with an L-shaped plan, was made of concrete and glass. It served as the council headquarters for a decade until 1974, when the formation of the larger Rochdale Borough Council meant Middleton no longer had its own administrative centre. The council then decided to demolish the original Parkfield House in 1978.

In 1980, the newer building was sold to the North West Water Authority, and later, in 2000, the security firm Chubb took ownership. Chubb vacated the property in 2020, and in January 2023, the building was acquired by Muller Property Group, a developer with plans for redevelopment. In May 2023, Muller Property Group submitted plans to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new residential development, including 20 houses and an 80-bed care home.