Districts in the Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester

The Town & Borough of Bury
In the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County

The Districts of Bury

Radcliffe

Radcliffe is located in a semi-rural setting framed by the West Pennine Moors and was originally a coal and cotton district - it takes its name from 'red cliff' (rock) on the River Irwell. Its many ancient buildings include the Parish Church, a Tithe barn and Radcliffe Tower. It is the most westerly of Bury districts and has a regular old market, a small shopping centred and is served by the Metrolink Rapid Tram/Railway Station.

Ramsbottom

Aerial Photograph of Ramsbottom
Image courtesy of www.webbaviation.co.uk. Copyright © 2005
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Located at the extreme north of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in the Irwell Valley lies Ramsbottom. This sleepy village almost tucked away in the hills and valleys of Rossendale, has seen considerable rebirth since the reopening of the East Lancashire Railway and has become a popular and much sought after place to live out of town. It boasts some of the most attractive countryside in the borough and is a popular place to visit. Within the Ramsbottom district are several other pretty villages, including Summerseat, with its conservation area and the beautiful Irwell Gorge. The name probably/possibly derives from the old English "Ramsons Bottom". In former times the village was sometimes known locally as "Tupp's Arse" ("tupp" being an old regional word for a sheep or ram), though the name actually has nothing to do with sheep or bottoms, but probably meant "the valley of wild garlic" (or "ramson" as the wild garlic is often called).

Edenfield

The small village of Edenfield used to sit on the main A56 trunk road, until it was by-passed by the M66 motorway. The area is sometimes referred to as Tottington Higher End. In the 19th century Edenfield, Ramsbottom, and Tottington grew increasingly popular with the middle classes eager to move out of the industrialised town centre into more pleasant and rural settings - this still tends to be true of these districts.

Tottington

Tottington once included part of what is now Ramsbottom, and as open farmland has long been regarded good hunting land where traditionally deer and wild boar were hunted. This quiet little backwater saw the resident population increase considerably during the early 19th century. Tottington, or "Totty" as it is known locally has a local Heritage Society which publishes a number of useful booklets on surrounding areas, including Tottington, Shuttleworth, Summerseat, Cheesden and Birtle.

Whitefield

Whitefield is a predominantly residential community, much favoured by the Jewish community who have a large settlement in the district. The district's proximity to the M60 Orbital Motorway and City of Manchester has ensured that there are many flourishing industries as well as retail parks located locally.
There are at least two theories for the origin of the placename. One is that the name comes from the Flemish weavers who used to lay out their fabrics to bleach in the sun; the other relies on the fact that historically Whitefield has been a farming community of open fields and that the name is a corruption of "Wheatfields. The village is dominated by the splendid Stand Church, (All Saints CofE Church), which was a so-called 'Waterloo Church' fund, having been built to celebrate Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. The old district of Stand is also located in Whitefield, and used to be evidenced not only by All Saints, but by Stand Grammar School for Boys (now demolished), Stand Girls Grammar School (now Philips High School), Stand Cricket Club and Stand Lane.

Prestwich

Prestwich comes from the Saxon meaning "a Priest's retreat" - a pub in the village has recently adopted this as its new name. It is situated about 3½ miles north of Manchester City centre and 4 miles south of Bury centre. In earlier times the district was predominantly farmland, but the area grew considerably during the Industrial Revolution. Along with Whitefield it boasts the second largest Jewish community in the United Kingdom. It is located immediately south and adjacent to the M60 Outer Ring Road, with access to the entire northwest motorway network. Nowadays the village shopping centre is busy and popular, with a profusion of local specialist shops and major supermarkets. Lying as it does on the main A56 trunk road northwards, midway between Manchester and Bury, and with a local Metrolink Railway Station it is an accessible and convenient shopping venue.
Just to the north of Prestwich lies Besses O' Th' Barn. This oddly named area, known locally simply as "Besses", is actually an old industrial town whose name has potentially colourful origins. One improbable explanation of the placename involves the highwayman Dick Turpin's famous horse, Black Bess. But, in all probability the name derives from one its most infamous pub landladies. Besses is probably best known for its celebrated brass band, multiple prize and championship winners, one of the oldest surviving brass band ensembles in the world.

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