Editing Middlewich (section)

==Culture and community==
[[File:Middlewich - Bull Ring Theatre.jpg|left|thumb|The Roman theatre in the Bull Ring]]
A highly regarded [[Middlewich folk and boat festival|folk and boat festival]] has been run in the town every year since 1990, except for 2001 when it was cancelled because of a [[foot and mouth disease|foot and mouth]] epidemic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2006 |work=The Mudcat Cafe |url=http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=88138&messages=18 |access-date=22 May 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006021745/http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=88138&messages=18 |archive-date=6 October 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> It was also cancelled in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the three-day festival (which takes place over a long weekend) [[folk music|folk]] artists play at a number of locations in the town, and it is estimated to bring in an extra 30,000 visitors to the town during the festival period, along with 400 narrowboats.<ref>{{cite web|title=Festival 2006 |work=Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival |url=http://www.midfest.org.uk/2006Festival/Festival%20info.doc |access-date=3 February 2008 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In addition to this annual event there have been a number of ad-hoc events, including the Middlewich Roman Festival in 2001. This Roman Festival led to a Heritage lottery fund grant which allowed the construction of a [[Roman theatre (structure)|Roman theatre]] at the Bull Ring near to St Michaels and All Angels church. Since its construction this has regularly been used for other purposes, such as an open-air music stage and an ice-rink.  Following the Roman festival in 2001, further Roman festivals were held in 2003 and 2007.  Tim Strickland, a consultant archaeologist, was awarded a [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] for services to archaeology for his work in organising the Roman Middlewich Project.<ref>Strickland and Sumner, ''Roman Middlewich: A Story of Roman and Briton in Mid-Cheshire''.</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Awards | work=Middlewich Town Council | url=http://www.middlewich.org.uk/awards.htm | access-date=13 April 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061210075816/http://www.middlewich.org.uk/awards.htm |archive-date = 10 December 2006}}</ref> In 2005 a [[Normans|Norman]] Festival was put on in the town, and there are plans for an Industrial Festival.<ref>{{cite web | title=Norman Middlewich | url=http://www.middlewich.org.uk/norman_middlewich1.htm | access-date=22 May 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051230191835/http://www.middlewich.org.uk/norman_middlewich1.htm |archive-date = 30 December 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Memories would be captured on CD for posterity |work=This Is Cheshire Work |date=22 February 2006 |url=http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/2/22/266022.html |access-date=22 May 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064301/http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/2/22/266022.html |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> A series of arts and music events "@ the Bull Ring" was started in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=What's On |work=Middlewich Town Council |url=http://www.middlewich.org.uk/what's_on.htm |access-date=26 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514180937/http://www.middlewich.org.uk/what%27s_on.htm |archive-date=14 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The local newspapers are the ''Middlewich Guardian'' and ''Middlewich Chronicle''. A radio station, Cheshire FM, was launched in 2007, covering the mid-Cheshire area including Middlewich – this closed in 2012. In 2013 a new local radio station was launched, [[Mid-Cheshire Radio]] covering Middlewich and the nearby towns of Northwich and Winsford. The library, in Lewin Street, was built in the 1970s to replace the old library which was demolished to build St Michael's Way. It has examples of finds from Middlewich's Roman past on display.<ref>{{cite web|title=Middlewich Library|url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Library/library.htm?id=33|access-date=22 April 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070404052211/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Library/library.htm?id=33 |archive-date = 4 April 2007}}</ref> 
Fountain Fields on Queen Street is a traditional town park, with a number of facilities including a bowling green. It has been owned by the council since 1926.<ref>{{cite web|title=Massive boost for town's park life|work=Messenger newspapers|url=http://archive.messengernewspapers.co.uk/1997/8/14/246307.html|access-date=22 April 2007}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Middlewich has had a football club since at least 1902. The current club, [[Middlewich Town F.C.|Middlewich Town]], was formed in 1998, and plays in the [[Mid-Cheshire League]]. Middlewich also has a cricket club on Croxton Lane.  There is a leisure centre<ref>{{cite web|title=Middlewich Leisure Centre |url=http://www.congleton.gov.uk/default.asp?t=219 |access-date=22 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928043429/http://www.congleton.gov.uk/default.asp?t=219 |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> which shares facilities with the high school. Middlewich is one of two large towns in [[Cheshire East|the former borough of Congleton]] without a public swimming pool, in spite of the various initiatives that have been started to provide one.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lost cash found thanks to Guardian |work=This is Cheshire |url=http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/10/25/279259.html |access-date=13 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011151116/http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/10/25/279259.html |archive-date=11 October 2007 }}</ref>

Middlewich's hospital is [[Leighton Hospital]] near [[Crewe]], part of the Mid Cheshire Hospitals [[National Health Service]] Trust. [[Primary care]] services are provided by the Central and Eastern Cheshire [[primary care trust|Primary Care Trust]]. [[general practitioner|GP]] services are provided by two medical practices. There are two dental practices.<ref>{{cite web|title=Local Search Results for CW10 |url=http://www.nhs.uk/England/Dentists/LocalSearchResults.aspx?pc=cw10&addr= |access-date=22 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231946/http://www.nhs.uk/England/Dentists/LocalSearchResults.aspx?pc=cw10&addr= |archive-date=26 September 2007 }}</ref>