Bury
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bury is a town in the north of Greater Manchester in the North West of England. Situated between Rochdale and Bolton, and just west of the M66, it is the largest settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury and has a population of 60,718.[citation needed]
Bury emerged during the Industrial Revolution as a mill town centred on textile manufacture.[1]
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[edit] Geography and administration
Located in the foothills of the western Pennines in North West England, this market town was first mentioned as a parish in AD 962. From 1894 to 1974, Bury was formed as a county borough, and thus outside of the administrative county of Lancashire it would have otherwise been part of.
With the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, Bury merged with the neighbouring county 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 the Metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.
For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Bury is part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.
[edit] Divisions and suburbs
| Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandlesholme | Freetown | Jericho | Sunny Bank |
| Chesham | Gigg | Limefield | Tottington |
| Elton | Greenmount | Pilsworth | Unsworth |
| Ferngrove | Heap | Redvales | Walmersley |
| Fernhill | Holcombe Brook | Seedfield | Walshaw |
| Fishpool | Hollins | Springs | Ramsbottom |
[edit] History
[edit] Etymology
The name Bury, (also earlier known as "Buri" and "Byri") comes from a Proto-Indo-European word, probably meaning "stronghold" or "fort".[2] Swedish 'Borg' is of same origin.[3]
[edit] Early history
Bury was formed around the ancient market place, with roads leading west towards Bolton (Bolton Street) and east towards Rochdale (The Rock and Rochdale Road).
[edit] Industrial Revolution
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 railway station with Manchester, Radcliffe, Rawtenstall and Accrington, and from the old Knowsley Street railway 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. However, plans have been put forward to redevelop these areas into a modern shopping centre with plans for completion in 2009.
[edit] Recent history
The town centre is still famous for its traditional 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, Sunny Bank, Brandlesholme, Limefield, Chesham and Elton. The old railway line to Manchester Victoria closed in 1990, and was replaced by the light rapid transit system Metrolink in 1992. The town was also linked to the M66 motorway network, opening in 1978, accessed from the east side of the town.
[edit] Landmarks
Peel Tower on Harcles (Holcombe) Hill.Z
[edit] Present day
[edit] Sport
Bury has a professional football club, Bury F.C., which plays at Gigg Lane. The club is currently managed by Chris Casper and plays in League Two, with a thriving Youth and Centre of Excellence department[4] which has recently produced players such as David Nugent, Simon Whaley and Colin Kazim-Richards. Current players such as Andy Bishop, Richie Baker and Marc Pugh have all been catching the eye of the press as well as other larger teams and all look to have a bright future. Former legends include free scoring Craig Madden, old time Norman Bullock, Neville Southall, Dean Kiely, Lee Dixon, Colin Bell, Terry McDermott, John McGinlay and Trevor Ross.
Gigg Lane is also used by FC United of the North West Counties First Division. FC United is a breakaway group of former Manchester United fans adhering to the anti Malcolm Glazer movement.[5] FC United's attendances are extremely competitive with those of Bury FC themselves. Until 2002 Manchester United Reserves were also hosted by Gigg Lane in Bury.
[edit] 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. The Met has hosted famous comedy acts such as Steve Coogan and Eddie Izzard in their days before fame.[6]
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. The most recent renovation includes modern artefacts such as mini-ipods and electric i-robot auto hoovers.[7] The council decided in 2006 to sell the Lowry's "The Riverbank" at auction in order to fund part of its Social Services budget shortfall. This has resulted in the government's Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) removing Bury Council's accredited museum status. The authority will now have limited funding options and will be ineligible for some grants.[8]
[edit] Education
- Colleges
- Bury College, formerly Bury Technical College and Peel Sixth Form College.
- Bury Grammar School has existed since the 16th century.[9]
- Holy Cross College, formerly Bury Convent Grammar School. In 2007 it was named 7th in the country.
- High schools located in the town include
| School Name | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Oak High School | Elton High School | St Gabriel's High School | Bury Church of England High School | Parrenthorn High School | St Monica's High School | Bury Grammar School (Independent) | Philips High School, Stand, Whitefield | Tottington High School |
| Castlebrook High School | Prestwich High School | Woodhey High School | ||||||
| Derby High School | Radcliffe Riverside High School | |||||||
[edit] Media
Local radio is provided by 107.4 Tower FM, based in nearby Bolton which broadcasts across both towns and Key 103 which promotes local news and events.
The town's local newspaper is the Bury Times, although the Manchester Evening News and Bolton News are also widely available.
[edit] Recent tragedies
Murder of Shirley Leach (1994). Pensioner found murdered in ladies toilets of Bury Interchange bus station. The culprit was discovered, arrested and convicted over 9 years later in 2006 when the police randomly stopped the murderer for a Road Traffic offence and obtained a DNA sample.[10]
Murder of Joe Geeling (1st March 2006). A tragic story which caught the hearts of the nation. An 11 year old boy murdered by a fellow pupil. Both were pupils of St. Gabriel's R.C. High School. The murderer made a calculated plot to lure Joe Geeling (who had cystic fibrosis) to his home by forcing Joe to submit forged letters to teachers to excuse his attendance. Joe was later stabbed to death and eventually found a few days later in a nearby park in a wheelie bin. In October 2006, the murder suspect (15 year old Michael Hamer) pleaded guilty to murder. He was sentenced for 'life' and, following a successful appeal against the original 12 years minimum sentence, now has to serve a minimum of 15 years before being eligible for parole.[11]
[edit] Places of interest
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.
- Peel Tower , Harcles Hill,[12] near Holcombe Village, Ramsbottom. In addition to seeing, or climbing, the tower (dedicated to Sir Robert Peel) hundreds of people climb to the tower each year on Good Friday. Historically this gathering had a principally religious purpose since the hill is said to be strikingly similar to the hill that Jesus is said to have climbed before he was crucified on Good Friday (Calvary).
[edit] Cuisine
Bury is known for its black puddings[13] so much so, that it is not uncommon to see it as "Bury Black Pudding" on a menu. Bury simnel cake is also a traditional variant of the cake originating in Bury.
[edit] Notable residents
[edit] 19th century
- Kay, John, the inventor of the Flying Shuttle, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution.
- Peel, Sir Robert (1788-1850), the 19th century British Prime Minister best known today for the repeal of the Corn Laws and his introduction 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 statue of Sir Robert Peel stands in Market Place, outside the Robert Peel public house, as pictured below.
[edit] 20th & 21st centuries: Sports personalities
- Goram, Andy, professional football player for numerous teams including Manchester United F.C.
- Harris, Reg, world cycling champion was born in Birtle, near Bury.
- Holland, Matt, professional football player for Charlton Athletic F.C.
- Neville, Gary, professional football player for Manchester United F.C.
- Neville, Philip, professional football player for Everton F.C.
- Neville, Tracey, twin sister to Phil Neville and professional netball player for England.
- Thornley, Ben, former professional football player for Manchester United F.C.
[edit] 20th & 21st centuries: Music, television and the media
- Atkinson, Gemma, actress and glamour model was born in Bury.
- Sanderson, Nikki, actress, singer and glamour model was born in Bury.
- Blair, Cherie, wife of the current Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was born in Bury.
- Boyle, Danny, film producer and director was born in Radcliffe, near Bury.
- Crompton, Richmal, author was born in Ramsbottom, near Bury.
- Elbow, contemporary/alternative rock band was formed in Bury.
- Jack, Donald, Canadian-based author born in Radcliffe, near Bury.
- Little, Ralf, actor was born in Bury.
- Marsh, Connor, child actor was born in and lives in Bury.
- Noble, guitarist from British Sea Power is from Bury.
- Riley, Lisa, actress and TV presenter was born in Burnley but raised in Bury, attending St Gabriel's R.C. High School.
- Stoneman, Ace, controversial journalist, born and raised in Bury.
- Shaw, Suzanne pop singer, formerly of Hear'Say, was born in Bury and attended St Gabriel's R.C. High School.
- Skellern, Peter, musician, was born in Bury.
- Williams, Layton, actor and dancer.
- Wood, Victoria, comedienne and actress, was born in Prestwich and attended Bury Grammar School for Girls.
[edit] Members of Parliament
- Burt, Alistair, Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire North East was born in Bury and was head boy at Bury Grammar School
- Chaytor, David, Member of Parliament for Bury North was born in Bury.
- Crausby, David, Member of Parliament for Bolton North East was born in Bury.
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] References
- ^ History of Bury
- ^ Bury MBC Visitors' Guide
- ^ Rootsweb.com
- ^ Bury F.C. Youth and Centre of Excellence Official Web Site
- ^ Bury F.C. Official Web Site
- ^ The Met arts centre
- ^ Bury Art Gallery and Museum
- ^ BBC News Story
- ^ Bury Grammar School Website
- ^ BBC Story
- ^ BBC Story
- ^ Ordnance Survey Map showing Harcles Hill and Bull Hill on Holcombe Moor to the north-east
- ^ BBC News Report, Bury Black Pudding & Bury's World Famous Market
