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Revision as of 15:33, 30 September 2006 by Arrievaulx (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)- This article is about the town of Bury in North West England. For burial, see burial. For other uses, see Bury (disambiguation).
Template:Infobox England place with map Bury is a mill town on the northern side of Greater Manchester in North West England, between Rochdale and Bolton and just west of the M66. It is the largest town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury.
History
Located in the foothills of the western Pennines in North West England, this market town was first mentioned as a parish in AD 962. Formerly in the administrative county of Lancashire, it merged with the neighbouring boroughs of Radcliffe and Prestwich, together with the urban districts of Whitefield, Tottington and Ramsbottom to become the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in 1974. This borough is part of Greater Manchester. For decades, the town was a sleepy backwater, but following the industrial revolution, the town greatly expanded in importance and there was a steady increase in population. Traditionally, the town was formed around the ancient market place, with road leading west towards Bolton (Bolton Street) and east towards Rochdale (The Rock and Rochdale Road).
Development was swift in the late 18th and early 19th century, when the town was linked to the national canal network by the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. Following this, railways opened, linking the town's Bolton Street station with Manchester, Radcliffe, Rawtenstall and Accrington, and from the old Knowsley Street Station to the neighbouring mill towns of Bolton, Heywood and Rochdale. The town made the most of its position between the River Irwell and the River Roch, with countless cotton mills opening in the 1800s. Other industries which thrived included paper–making, calico printing and some light engineering. The town expanded out to incorporate the former townships of Elton, Walmersley and Heap and rows of terraced housing encircled the town centre by the turn of the 19th century. Districts such as Freetown, Fishpool and Pimhole were transformed from farmer's fields to rows of terraced housing, with occasional factories and mills.
In the postwar period, there was a major decline in the cotton industry, and in common with many neighbouring towns, Bury's skyline was soon very different, with countless factory chimneys being pulled down and the associated mills closing their doors forever. The old shopping area around Princess Street and Union Street was demolished in the late 1960s, and a concrete precinct emerged to replace it. This charmless development was mercifully replaced by the Millgate centre in the late 1990s. However, outside of the Millgate is a large shopping area known as The Rock, populated mainly by pound shops and charity shops.
The town centre is still famous for its traditional Lancashire market, with its "nationally famous" Black Pudding stalls. Bury Market was also once famous for its tripe, although this has declined in the past few decades. The last 30 years has seen the town developing into an important commuter town for neighbouring Manchester. Large scale housing development has taken place around Unsworth, Redvales, Sunnybank, Brandlesholme, Limefield, Chesham and Elton. The old railway to Manchester Victoria closed in the 1990, and was replaced by the light rapid transit system Metrolink in 1992. The town is also linked to the motorway network with the M66 to the east of the town.
Districts and neighbourhoods of Bury
- Brandlesholme
- Chesham
- Elton
- Ferngrove
- Fernhill
- Fishpool
- Freetown
- Gigg
- Greenmount
- Heap
- Holcombe Brook
- Hollins
- Jericho
- Limefield
- Pilsworth
- Redvales
- Seedfield
- Springs
- Sunnybank
- Tottington
- Unsworth
- Walmersley
Sport
Bury has a professional football club, Bury F.C., which plays at Gigg Lane. Gigg Lane is also used by FC United
Arts
The Met arts centre, based in the Derby Hall on Market Street, is a small performing arts venue promoting a programme of theatre, music and comedy events.
Bury Art Gallery and Museum on Moss Street is home to a fine collection of Victorian and 20th century art, including works by Turner, Constable, Landseer and Lowry.
Education
- Colleges
- Bury College, formerly Bury Technical college.
- Bury Grammar School has existed since the 16th Century.
- Holy Cross College, formerly Bury Convent Grammar School and now one of the top ten colleges in the country.
- High Schools located in the town are
- Broad Oak High School
- Bury Church of England High School
- Bury Grammar School (Independent)
- Castlebrook High School
- Derby High School
- Elton High School
- Parrenthorn High School
- Philips High School
- Prestwich High School
- Radcliffe Riverside High School
- St Gabriels High School
- St Monica's High School
- Tottington High School
- Woodhey High School
Media
Local radio is provided by Tower FM, a station based in nearby Bolton which broadcasts across both towns.
The town's local newspaper is the Bury Times, although the Manchester Evening News and Bolton Evening News are also widely available.
Attractions
Attractions in Bury include:
- The East Lancashire Railway, a heritage railway which runs from the town to Heywood, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall.
- Bury's 'World Famous' Market, which has been on the same site for nearly 600 years; the original license for a market was granted in 1444.
- The regimental Museum of the Lancashire Fusiliers.
Cuisine
Bury is known for its black pudding – so much so, that it is not uncommon to see it as "Bury black pudding" on a menu.
Famous People from Bury
- Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth century British Prime Minister best known today for the repeal of the corn laws and the invention of the modern police force (hence the terms "bobbies" and "Peelers"), was born in Bury. A monument Peel Tower now exists to his memory. As this is situated nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, it is easily recognizable for miles around. The tower itself was not built for Sir Robert, but to provide work for local workers and was later dedicated to him. A striking statue of Sir Robert Peel exists in the Market Square outside the Sir Robert Peel pub.
- John Kay, the inventor of the Flying shuttle, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution.
- Cherie Blair, the wife of the current Prime Minister Tony Blair, was born in Bury.
- Actor Ralf Little was born in Bury
- Rock band Elbow was formed in Bury.
- Pop singer Suzanne Shaw, formerly of Hear'Say, was born in Bury.
- Comedienne Victoria Wood is from Bury and attended Bury Grammar School for Girls.
- Footballers Gary Neville, Philip Neville, Andy Goram, Ben Thornley and netball player Tracy Neville were all born in Bury.
- Author Richmal Crompton was born in Ramsbotton, near Bury.
- Canadian based author Donald Jack was born in Radcliffe, Bury.
- Musician Peter Skellern was born in Bury.
- Film producer and director Danny Boyle was born in Radcliffe, Bury.
- World cycling champion Reg Harris was born in Birtle, near Bury.
- Guitarist Noble from British Sea Power is from Bury.
- Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire North East Alistair Burt was born here and was head boy at Bury Grammar School.
- Member of Parliament for Bury North David Chaytor was born here.
- Member of Parliament for Bolton North East David Crausby was born here.
- Actor and dancer Layton Williams comes from here.
Etymology
The name Bury, (also earlier known as "Buri" and "Byri") comes from a Saxon word, probably meaning "a stronghold".
External links
- Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
- Bury Grammar School (Boys)
- Bury Grammar School (Girls)
- East Lancs Railway
- The Met arts centre
- Bury Art Gallery and Museum
- Bury Church of England High School
- Listed buildings in Bury