The 13th April 2026 is the 850th anniversary of the founding of an abbey by an owner of Middleton. On 13th April 1176, Robert III de Marmion, 2nd Baron Marmion of Tamworth, officially founded the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Barbery, which was located in the communes of Barbery and Bretteville-sur-Laize in Calvados, Normandy, about 20km south of Caen. On 14th November 1140, Robert III’s father, Robert II de Marmion, 1st Baron Marmion of Tamworth and Lord of Fontenay-le-Marmion in N

2026 is the 850th anniversary of the start of the construction of Old London Bridge. The construction was instigated by Peter of Colechurch in 1176 but it was not completed until 1209, which was after Peter had died. So how does this connect to Middleton’s history? Peter was described as the bridge master and a clergyman at St Mary’s Colechurch. Following the murder of Thomas à Becket in 1170, Robert III de Marmion, 2nd Baron Marmion of Tamworth, who owned Middleton between 1