Middleton on the Hill is a village and civil parish in north east Herefordshire, England, near the border with Worcestershire. Middleton-on-the-Hill lies a few miles to the east of the A49 between Ludlow and Leominster. Middleton on the Hill is one of the 53 Thankful Villages in England and Wales that suffered no fatalities during the Great War of 1914 to 1918; as it did not suffer any losses in World War II either, it is one of 13 villages considered "doubly thankful". The village is featured on Darren Hayman's album, Thankful Villages Volume 3.
Etymology Middleton on the Hill does not mean "middle town or village" (from Old English middel "middle" and tūn "farm, village, estate, enclosure, manor (which gives us the modern English "town") as with most places of the name (e.g. Middleton, Greater Manchester: instead the etymology derives from Old English micel "large (related to modern English much" and tūn "farm, village, estate, enclosure, manor", here in the sense "estate" meaning "large village" (i.e. one that is broad in size).A.D. Mills, Dictionary of English Place-Names, 2001 The name was recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book as Miceltune when it was reported as part of the lands belonging to LeominsterDomesday Book: A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 2003. p.497 and 1576 "TRE".TRE in Latin is Tempore Regis Edwardi, which means in the time of Edward the Confessor before the Battle of Hastings. After 1086 it belonged to Durand, the Sheriff, and was worth ten shillings.
Buildings Saint Mary's church is in the Norman and Early English styles and has a large tower which contained three bells. This older church had outlived the chapel which was demolished in 1800. In the churchyard is a war memorial that unusually is shaped like a lantern. The inscription reads: A thank offering to Almighty God "At evening time it shall be light " for the safe return of all the men from this parish who fought in the Great War 1914 - 1918 and 1939 - 1945Middleon site on demon accessed 8 November 2007 In 1874 a school was erected at a cost of £210 that could cater for 42 children. A building stood here was called Moor Abbey and was the remains of a much older building. This building would have had a moat.Extract from Littlebury's Directory and Gazetteer of Herefordshire, 1876-7 in Genuki accessed 7 November 2007
A short distance away, about 3 miles (5 km) south east of Middleton and near Tenbury WellsTenbury Wells and the Teme Valley, 2007, p10 is the church of Saint Michael, which was founded by the Reverend Sir Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley, Bart, M.A. at an outlay of nearly £30,000. Frederick Ouseley was the musical prodigy son of Sir Gore Ouseley, the diplomat who served in Persia, Russia and India. accessed 12 September 2007 The church is a magnificent structure of stone, in the Middle Pointed style of architecture, and was consecrated on the 29 September 1856. There is beautiful stained glass in the east and west windows in particular, which represents figures of angels and the Crucifixion. The font is placed in a complete baptistery well of water, and there were only two of its kind when it was installed. The organ, a remarkable instrument that has 64 stops and four manuals, with many other novel and effective features, was installed under the direction of the Rev. Sir Frederick Ouseley.
Population The village is now primarily home to commuters. Its population in 1861 was 445 and in 1871, 382. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 the Middleton on the Hill ward headcount was recorded as 244.
Local radio The village is covered by Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire on 96.7 FM and Hits Radio Birmingham, and Sunshine 855, as well as BBC Hereford and Worcester.
References
External links
Middleton on the Hill - Essay about the town St Mary the Virgin Middleton on the Hill - Parish website