Coordinates: 52°14′51″N 0°43′06″E / 52.2474°N 0.7183°E / 52.2474; 0.7183

Bury St Edmunds
Guildhall, Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds  Bury St Edmunds shown within Suffolk
Population	35,015 [1]
OS grid reference	TL855645
District	St Edmundsbury
Shire county	Suffolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BURY ST. EDMUNDS
Postcode district	IP28–IP33
Dialling code	01284
Police	Suffolk
Fire	Suffolk
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Bury St Edmunds
List of places: UK • England • Suffolk

Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre. Bury is the seat of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, with the episcopal see at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

The town, originally called Beodericsworth, is known for brewing and malting (with the large Greene King brewery) and for a British Sugar processing factory. Many large and small businesses are located in Bury, which traditionally has given Bury an affluent economy with low unemployment,^{[citation needed]} with the town being the main cultural and retail centre for West Suffolk. Tourism is also a major part of the economy, plus local government.

It is in the Bury St Edmunds parliamentary constituency and is represented in Parliament by David Ruffley.

History[link]

Bury St Edmunds (Beodericsworth, St Edmund's Bury), supposed by some to have been the Villa Faustina of the Romans, was one of the royal towns of the Saxons.^{[citation needed]} Sigebert, king of the East Angles, founded a monastery here about 633, which in 903 became the burial place of King Edmund, who was slain by the Danes in 869, and owed most of its early celebrity to the reputed miracles performed at the shrine of the martyr king. The town grew around Bury St Edmunds Abbey, a site of pilgrimage. By 925 the fame of St Edmund had spread far and wide, and the name of the town was changed to St Edmund's Bury. In 942 or 945 King Edmund had granted to the abbot and convent jurisdiction over the whole town, free from all secular services, and Canute in 1020 freed it from episcopal control. Edward the Confessor made the abbot lord of the franchise. Sweyn, in 1020, having destroyed the older monastery and ejected the secular priests, built a Benedictine abbey on St Edmund's Bury.^[2]

The town is associated with Magna Carta. In 1214 the barons of England are believed to have met in the Abbey Church and sworn to force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, the document which influenced the creation of the Magna Carta.^[2] By various grants from the abbots, the town gradually attained the rank of a borough.

Henry III in 1235 granted to the abbot two annual fairs, one in December (which still survives) and the other the great St Matthew's fair, which was abolished by the Fairs Act of 1871.^[2] In 1327, the Great Riot occurred, in which the local populace led an armed revolt against the Abbey.^[3] The burghers were angry at the overwhelming power, wealth and corruption of the monastery, which ran almost every aspect of local life with a view to enriching itself.^{[citation needed]} The riot destroyed the main gate and a new, fortified gate was built in its stead.^[3] However in 1381 during the Great Uprising, the Abbey was sacked and looted again.^{[citation needed]} This time, the Prior was executed; his severed head was placed on a pike in the Great Market.^{[citation needed]} On 11 April 1608 a great fire broke out in Eastgate Street, which resulted in 160 dwellings and 400 outhouses being destroyed.^[3]

Thomas Warren's map of Bury St Edmunds, 1776

The town developed into a flourishing cloth-making town, with a large woollen trade, by the 14th century.^[3] In 1405 Henry IV granted another fair.^[2]

Elizabeth I in 1562 confirmed the charters which former kings had granted to the abbots. The reversion of the fairs and two markets on Wednesday and Saturday were granted by James I in fee farm to the corporation. James I in 1606 granted a charter of incorporation with an annual fair in Easter week and a market. James granted further charters in 1608 and 1614, as did Charles II in 1668 and 1684.^[2]

Parliaments were held in the borough in 1272, 1296 and 1446, but the borough was not represented until 1608, when James I conferred on it the privilege of sending two members.^[2] The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 reduced the representation to one.^[2]

The borough of Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area, like much of East Anglia, being part of the Eastern Association, supported Puritan sentiment during the first half of the 17th century. By 1640, several families had departed for the Massachusetts Bay Colony as part of the wave of emigration that occurred during the Great Migration.^[4] Bury's ancient grammar school also educated notable puritan theologians such as Richard Sibbes, the master of St. Catherine's Hall in Cambridge and noteworthy future colonists such as Simonds D'Ewes and John Winthrop, Jr.^[5]

The town was the setting for the Bury St. Edmunds witch trials between 1599 and 1694.^[6]

View of gate, Bury St Edmunds Abbey, c. 1920

Modern history[link]

During the Second World War, the USAAF used RAF Station Rougham airfield outside the town.^[7]

On 3 March 1974 a Turkish Airlines DC10 jet Flight 981 crashed near Paris killing all 346 people on board. Among the victims were 17 members of Bury St Edmunds rugby club, returning from France.^[8]

The town council was formed in 2003.^[9] The election on 3 May 2007 was won by the "Abolish Bury Town Council" party.^[10] The party lost its majority following a by-election in June 2007 and, to date, the Town Council is still in existence.^[11] In March 2008 a further by-election put Conservatives in control but in the council election of May 2011 the lack of Conservative and other parties' candidates let in a Labour majority before the election was even held.^[12]

Town[link]

Near the gardens stands Britain's first internally illuminated street sign, the Pillar of Salt which was built in 1935. The sign is at the terminus of the A1101, Great Britain's lowest road.

Barwell's Butcher Shop, Bury St Edmunds, c. 1900

There is a network of tunnels which are evidence of chalk-workings,^[13] though there is no evidence of extensive tunnels under the town centre. Some buildings have inter-communicating cellars. Due to their unsafe nature the chalk-workings are not open to the public, although viewing has been granted to individuals. Some have caused subsidence in living history, for instance at Jacqueline Close.^[14]

Among noteworthy buildings is St Mary's Church, where Mary Tudor, Queen of France and sister of Tudor king Henry VIII, was re-buried, six years after her death, having been moved from the Abbey after her brother's Dissolution of the Monasteries. Queen Victoria had a stained glass window fitted into the church to commemorate Mary's interment.^[15] Moreton Hall, a Grade II* listed building by Robert Adam, now houses the Moreton Hall Preparatory School.^[16]

Bury St Edmunds has one of the wholetime fire stations run by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. Originally located in the Traverse (now the Halifax Building Society), it moved to Fornham Road in 1953. The Fornham Road site (now Mermaid Close) closed in 1987 and the fire station moved to its current location on Parkway North.

Geography[link]

Bury is located in the middle of an undulating area of East Anglia known as the East Anglian Heights, with land to the East and West of the town rising to above 100 metres (328 feet), though parts of the town itself are as low as 30 metres (98 feet) above sea level where the Rivers Lark and Linnet pass through it.

Climate[link]

There are two Met office reporting stations in the vicinity of Bury St Edmunds, Brooms Barn (elevation 76m), 6.5 miles to the West of the town centre, and Honington (elevation 51m), about 6.5 miles to the North. Honington ceased weather observations in 2003, though Brooms Barn remains operational. Brooms Barn's record Maximum temperature stands at 36.7c (98.1f), recorded in August 2003.^[17] The lowest recent temperature was -10.0c (14.0f)^[18] during December 2010.

Rainfall is generally low, at under 600mm, and spread fairly evenly throughout the year.

Name[link]

The name Bury is etymologically connected with borough,^[21] which has cognates in other Germanic languages such as the German "burg" meaning "fortress, castle"; Old Norse "borg" meaning "wall, castle"; and Gothic "baurgs" meaning "city".^[22] They all derive from Proto-Germanic *burgs meaning "fortress". This in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhrgh meaning "fortified elevation", with cognates including Welsh bera ("stack") and Sanskrit bhrant- ("high, elevated building"). There is thus no justification for the folk etymology stating that the Cathedral Town was so called because St Edmund was buried there.

The second section of the name refers to Edmund King of the East Angles, who was killed by the Vikings in the year 869. He became venerated as a saint and a martyr, and his shrine made Bury St Edmunds an important place of pilgrimage.

The formal name of both the borough and the diocese is "St. Edmundsbury". Local residents often refer to Bury St Edmunds simply as "Bury".

Religion[link]

Bury St Edmunds has a Gothic Revival cathedral and a large parish church, and used to have an abbey. Its Unitarian meeting house has existed since the early 18th century as a non-conformist chapel.^[23]

Abbey[link]

In the centre of Bury St Edmunds lie the remains of an abbey, surrounded by the Abbey Gardens, a park. The abbey is a shrine to Saint Edmund, the Saxon King of the East Angles. The abbey was sacked by the townspeople in the 14th century, and then largely destroyed during the 16th century with the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but Bury remained prosperous throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, falling into relative decline with the Industrial Revolution.

Cathedral[link]

St Edmundsbury Cathedral from the east

Bury St Edmunds Cathedral was created when the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was formed in 1914. The cathedral was extended with an eastern end in the 1960s, commemorated by Benjamin Britten's Fanfare for St Edmundsbury. A new Gothic revival cathedral tower was built as part of a Millennium project running from 2000 to 2005. The opening for the tower took place in July 2005, and included a brass band concert and fireworks. Parts of the cathedral remain uncompleted, including the cloisters. Many areas remain inaccessible to the public due to building work. The tower makes St Edmundsbury the only recently completed Anglican cathedral in the UK. Only a handful of Gothic revival cathedrals are being built worldwide. The tower was constructed using original fabrication techniques by six masons who placed the machine-pre-cut stone individually as they arrived.

St. Mary's Church[link]

St. Mary's Church is the civic church of Bury St. Edmunds and the third largest parish church in England. It was part of the abbey complex and originally was one of three large churches in the town (the others being St. James, now St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, and St. Margaret's, now gone).It is renowned for its magnificent hammer-beam Angel roof, and is the final resting place of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk and favourite sister of Henry VIII (Mary Rose). St Mary's is also home to the Chapel of the Suffolk and Royal Anglian Regiments.

Culture[link]

The Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds was built by National Gallery architect William Wilkins in 1819. It is the sole surviving Regency Theatre in the country . The theatre, owned by the Greene King brewery, is leased to the National Trust for a nominal charge, and underwent restoration between 2005 and 2007. It presents a full programme of performances and is also open for public tours.

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds exterior.

Moyse's Hall Museum is one of the oldest (c. 1180) domestic buildings in East Anglia open to the public. It has collections of fine art, for example Mary Beale, costume, e.g. Charles Frederick Worth, horology, local and social history; including Red Barn Murder and Witchcraft.^[24]

Smiths Row, a contemporary art gallery, is located in The Market Cross, restored by Robert Adam in the late 1700s. The Gallery was established in 1972 and today hosts a programme of changing contemporary art and craft exhibitions and events by British and international artists. Artists featured in the Gallery have included Cornelia Parker, David Batchelor, Anri Sala and Mark Fairnington.

The town holds a festival in May. This including concerts, plays, dance, and lecturers culminating in fireworks. Bury St Edmunds is home to England's oldest Scout group, 1st Bury St Edmunds (Mayors Own).

Sport[link]

The town's main football club, Bury Town, is the fourth oldest non-league team in England.^[25] They are members of the Isthmian League Premier Division. Team Bury, associated with the football academy at West Suffolk College play in Division One of the Eastern Counties League. Suffolk County Cricket Club play occasional games at the Victory Ground which is also the home ground of Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club.

Early view of Moyses Hall, today Moyses Hall Museum

Local economy[link]

Brewing[link]

The Nutshell pub

The UK's largest British-owned brewery, Greene King, is situated in Bury, as is the smaller Old Cannon Brewery. Just outside the town, on the site of RAF Bury St Edmunds, is Bartrums Brewery, originally based in Thurston.

Another beer-related landmark is Britain's smallest public house, The Nutshell, which is on The Traverse, just off the marketplace. It is allegedly the smallest pub in Britain and also believed to be haunted.

Sugar beet[link]

Bury's largest landmark is the British Sugar factory near the A14, which processes sugar beet into refined crystal sugar. It was built in 1925 when the town's MP, Walter Guinness, was Minister of Agriculture. It processes beet from 1,300 growers. 660 lorry-loads of beet can be accepted each day when beet is being harvested. Not all the beet can be crystallised immediately, and some is kept in solution in holding tanks until late spring and early summer, when the plant has spare crystallising capacity. The sugar is sold under the Silver Spoon name (the other major British brand, Tate & Lyle, is made from imported sugar cane). By-products include molassed sugar beet feed for cattle and LimeX70, a soil improver. The factory has its own power station,^[26] which powers around 110,000 homes. A smell of burnt starch from the plant is noticeable on some days.^{[citation needed]}

Notable people[link]

The Abbeygate, a local symbol of the town

Notable people from Bury St Edmunds include author Norah Lofts, who though actually born in Shipdham Norfolk, bases many of her stories in Baildon, the fictionalised Bury St Edmunds, artist Rose Mead, artist and printer Sybil Andrews, actors Bob Hoskins^[27] and Michael Maloney^[28] theatre director Sir Peter Hall, author Maria Lousie de la Ramé (also known as Ouida), Canadian journalist and author Richard Gwyn, cyclist James Moore, World War II Canadian general Guy Simonds, footballer Andy Marshall and the 18th-century landscape architect Humphry Repton,^[29] Bishop of Winchester and Lord High Chancellor Stephen Gardiner.^[30] Thomas Clarkson fact-finder behind the abolition of the slave trade lived in the town for parts of his life. Though born in Bedford, actor John Le Mesurier grew up in the town.^[31]

Although not from Bury St Edmunds, BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel lived nearby in Great Finborough and, on 12 November 2004, his funeral took place at the cathedral.^[32] It was attended by approximately a thousand people including many artists he had championed. During a peak of local musical activity in Bury St Edmunds in 2002, he referred (tongue-in-cheek) to the town as 'The New Seattle'.^{[citation needed]} Notable bands from Bury St Edmunds include Jacob's Mouse, Miss Black America, The Dawn Parade and Kate Jackson of The Long Blondes.

Among notable people who have chosen to retire to or have second homes in Bury St Edmunds are former members of parliament and government ministers Lord Tebbit,^[33] Sir John Wheeler^{[citation needed]}, Sir Eldon Griffiths,^[34] and former senior Royal Air Force commander Air Marshall Sir Reginald Harland.^[35]

Education[link]

Unlike most of England, which operates a two tier school system, state education in Bury St Edmunds and its catchment area is a three-tier system. Upper schools include King Edward VI, St Benedict's and County Upper School. Middle schools include Hardwick; Howard Middle; St James; St Louis; Westley Middle and Horringer Court Middle School, a training school.^[36] The public school Culford School is located just north of the town in the village of Culford. Primary Schools Howard Community Primary School, Westgate and Tollgate.

West Suffolk College and West Suffolk House are the town's provider of further and higher education.

Twin towns[link]

• Compiègne, Oise, Picardy, France
• Kevelaer, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Affiliations[link]

HMS Vengeance: Royal Navy Vanguard Class SSBN [2]

Gallery[link]

• 

  Pipes and Drums of Bury St. Edmunds, Glenmoriston Pipe Band

• 

  Abbey Gardens with Cathedral in background

• 

  The Abbey ruins

• 

  Post office

• 

  Cemetery

• 

  Ruins of St. Saviour's Hospital

• 

  The Norman Tower

• 

  St. John's Street

• 

  View of Browning's blacksmith shop, Southgate Street, c. 1900

• 

  View of the workhouse, c. 1870

• 

  Old Gaol, front on Southgate Street, c. 1870

• 

  Guildhall with figures, c. 1870

• 

  Westgate House, Westgate Street, c. 1880

• 

  Reading the charter, Angel Hotel, Charter Day, c. 1910

• 

  Participant in costume, 1907 Bury Pageant

• 

  Abbots Bridge across the Lark River, c. 1890

• 

  Volunteer cyclist group, c. 1900-1910

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Bury St Edmunds.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bury St Edmunds

• St Edmundsbury Council
• Bury St Edmunds Area Guide
• Bury St Edmunds Past and Present Society

• [3] Photos of Bury St Edmunds

Coordinates: 53°35′35″N 2°17′53″W / 53.593°N 2.298°W / 53.593; -2.298

Bury
Bury Town Hall
Bury  Bury shown within Greater Manchester
Population	60,718
OS grid reference	SD805105
Metropolitan borough	Bury
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BURY
Postcode district	BL9 & BL8 & BL0
Dialling code	0161/01706/01204
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Bury North
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Bury /ˈbɛrɪ/ is a town in Greater Manchester, England.^[1] It lies on the River Irwell, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Bolton, 5.9 miles (9.5 km) west-southwest of Rochdale, and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north-northwest of the city of Manchester. Bury is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, with Bury as the largest settlement and administrative centre.

Historically a part of Lancashire, Bury emerged during the Industrial Revolution as a mill town centred on textile manufacture.

Bury is regionally notable for its open-air market - Bury Market - and its popularity has been increased since the introduction of the Manchester Metrolink tram system, which terminates in the town. The market is known for its supply of a local traditional dish - black pudding, served hot or cold and can be eaten either as a takeaway snack, or more commonly as an accompaniment or main ingredient of a meal starter or main course.

One of Bury's most famous residents was Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and founder of the Metropolitan Police Service. A monument to Peel is outside Bury parish church and another, the austere Peel Monument, stands on a hill overlooking the locality.

History[link]

Toponymy[link]

The name Bury, (also earlier known as "Buri" and "Byri") comes from an Old English word, meaning "castle", "stronghold" or "fort", an early form of modern English borough.^[2]

Early history[link]

Bury was formed around the ancient market place but even prior to this there is evidence of activity dating back to the period of Roman occupation. Bury Museum has a Roman Urn containing a number of small bronze coins dated for AD 253-282 and found north of what is now the town centre.^[3] Under Agricola the road building programme included a route from the fort at Manchester (Mamucium) to the fort at Ribchester (Bremetennacum) that ran through Radcliffe and Affetside. The modern Watling Street, that serves the Seddons Farm estate on the west side of town, follows the approximate line of the route.

The most imposing early building in the town would have been Bury Castle,^[4][5] a medieval fortified manor house. The castle was built in 1469 by Sir Thomas Pilkington, lord of the manors of Pilkington and Bury and a powerful member of Lancashire's gentry. It sat in a good defensive position on high ground overlooking the Irwell Valley. At that time the Pilkingtons had been lords of Bury for nearly a century, having inherited the manor from a family named de Bury.

Bury Parish Church

The Pilkington family suffered badly in the Wars of the Roses when, despite the geography they supported the House of York. When Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth, in 1485, Thomas Pilkington was captured and later executed. The outcome of the battle was that the Duke of Richmond, representing the House of Lancaster was crowned Henry VII by Sir William Stanley. As a reward for the support of his family Thomas Stanley was created Earl of Derby and amongst other land the confiscated Pilkington estate in Bury was presented to him.^[3]

The ancestral home of the Earls of Derby is Knowsley Hall on the outskirts of Liverpool. The family maintain a connection with Bury in various ways - the Derby High School is named after them. When the school opened in 1959 the Earl of Derby was patron and the school's badge is based on the Earl's coat of arms.

For many years the castle remains were buried beneath the streets outside the Castle Armoury. From time to time it was the subject of archaeological excavations. These established that there was an earlier manor house on the site. In 2000 the castle site was properly excavated as a focal point in the town centre. The remains of the old walls are now displayed in Castle Square.

Between 1801 and 1830 the population of the town more than doubled from 7072 to 15086. This was the time when the factories, mines and foundries began to dominate the landscape with their spinning machines and steam engines.

Industrial Revolution[link]

Probate evidence from the 17th century and the remains of 18th century weavers' cottages in Elton, on the west side of Bury, indicate that domestic textile production was an important factor of the local economy at a time when Bury's textile industry was dominated by woollens and based upon the domestic production of yarn and cloth as well as water-powered fulling mills.^[6][7]

Development was swift in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The establishment of Brooksbottom Mill, in Summerseat north of the town, as a calico printing works in 1773 by the family of Sir Robert Peel marked the beginning of the cotton industry in Bury. By the early 19th century cotton was the predominant textile industry with the River Roch and River Irwell providing power for spinning mills and processing water for the finishing trades. Development was further promoted when the town was linked to the national canal network by the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal, fully opened in 1808. The canal is provided with water from Elton Reservoir, fed by aqueducts from a weir on the River Irwell, north of what is now the Burrs Country Park. The Burrs is also the site of another mill developed by the Peel family, first founded in 1790. The remains are displayed for the public. There were seven cotton mills in Bury by 1818 and the population grew from 9,152 in 1801 to 58,029 in 1901.

Following this, railways opened, linking the town from Bury Bolton Street railway station to Manchester, Radcliffe, Rawtenstall and Accrington and from the old Knowsley Street railway station to the neighbouring mill towns of Bolton, Heywood and Rochdale. As well as the many cotton mills other industries which thrived included paper–making, calico printing and some light engineering. The town expanded 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 farmers' fields to rows of terraced housing, beside the factories and mills.

The houses were of the most limited kind without basic facilities, sewers or proper streets. The result was the rapid spread of disease and high mortality rates in crowded areas. In 1838 out of 1,058 working class houses in Bury investigated by the Manchester Statistical Society 733 had 3-4 people in each bed, 207 had 4-5 and 76 had 5-6.^[8] Social reformers locally and nationally were concerned about such issues, including Edwin Chadwick. One report that prepared the ground for the reform of public health matters, commissioned by then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, asked local doctors for information. King Street, Bury was highlighted. It had 10 houses, each with one bedroom, and a population of 69. The average age of death in Bury was 13.8 years. Towns like Bury were likened to 'camps'^[9] where newcomers sought work in mill, mine or forge. Many, often from Ireland found shelter in lodging houses. 38 in Bury were surveyed.^[10] 73% had men and women sharing beds indiscriminately, 81% were filthy and the average was 5.5 persons to a bed.

Although Bury had few of the classic late 19th century spinning mills that were such a feature of other Lancashire towns a group, known as Peel Mills, are still in use at Castlecroft Road, immediately north of the town centre, their name another reminder of the link with the Peel family.

Lancashire Fusiliers[link]

Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial at Tower Gardens

According to writer Geoffrey Moorhouse, a history of Bury is not complete without reference to its role as the regimental town of the Lancashire Fusiliers.^[11]

In 1688 Prince William of Orange (later King William III) landed at Brixham, Devon. He was met by a number of noblemen who were then commissioned to raise Regiments to help him oppose James II. Colonel Sir Robert Peyton raised a Regiment containing six independent companies in the Exeter area. In 1782 the title was changed to the XX or East Devon Regiment of Foot and from 1 July 1881 became the XX The Lancashire Fusiliers. The link with Bury and the Fusiliers started at this time when, following successful recruiting in Lancashire a Regimental Depot was established in Bury, Wellington Barracks, in 1881. Wellington Barracks became XX The Lancashire Fusiliers Regimental Headquarters in 1961.

The regiment has been involved in many campaigns and peace keeping duties including the Jacobite uprising, the American War of Independence, the Napoleonic Wars, the Indian Mutiny and both world wars. Since moving to Bury the Lancashire Fusiliers were part, in 1898, of the force that relieved Khartoum and fought in the Battle of Omdurman and in 1899–1902 during the Boer War took part in the battles of Spion Kop and the Tugela Heights, leading up to the Relief of Ladysmith.

In 1914, the regiment was 4th Battalion of the British Expeditionary Force, the first force to enter France against the Germans. On 24 April 1915 the taking of W beach at Gallipoli six men were each awarded the Victoria Cross. The six were chosen by their comrades for the 'action before breakfast'.

The losses in the Dardanelles had a sharp impact on the town. They were all the more pronounced because many of those killed and wounded were from the regiment's Territorial Battalion based in the town. Like the Pals battalions, it recruited from a small area. It also consisted largely of part-time soldiers who had volunteered for regular service at the outbreak of war and who therefore had strong community ties. They were literally, the local butcher, baker and candlestick maker - who had wives and children resident in the town.

As a consequence, for many years afterwards Gallipoli Day was as much a part of the town's mourning for World War I dead as Armistice Day or latterly Remembrance Sunday.

During World War II the regiment fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino, where Fusilier Jefferson won a VC in July 1943. They were also involved in the D-Day landings, with a successful attack on Villers-Bocage in July 1944. Subsequently they were involved in Burma, at the Suez Canal and Kenya at the time of the Mau Mau rebellion.

In 1968 four fusiliers regiments, the Lancashire, Royal Northumberland, Royal Warwickshire and Royal Fusiliers were amalgamated to create the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The bringing together of the various regiments saw the demise of the Lancashire regiment's distinctive primrose hackle - the yellow feathers worn above the cap badge. In its place all the battalions adopted the red and white emblem of the Northumberland Fusiliers who were the senior (oldest) regiment to be absorbed into the newly created Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. After the end of national service, with less need to recruit and train soldiers most of Wellington Barracks was redeveloped for housing and playing fields. Parts of the perimeter wall are still visible but the only part of the site still in military use is the Regimental Headquarters and social club. Sited in Elton on the west side of Bury the barracks fronted Bolton Road, the A58 at the corner with Haig Road. This and other local streets in the estate opposite, including Kitchener, Connaught, White, Buller and Powell Streets were named after prominent army figures.

A memorial to the Lancashire Fusiliers who died in the First World War was placed at the front of the former barracks. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, architect of the Whitehall cenotaph, the memorial is a grade 2 listed monument. Because his father and great uncle had been officers in the regiment Lutyens declined a fee for his work. The monument, 5.88 m high and built of Portland stone, was unveiled in April 1922.^[12] In 2009, and after some local controversy, the memorial was moved to Bury town centre where in now stands adjacent to a new regimental museum.

In 1859, the 8th Lancashire (Bury) Rifle Volunteer Corps was formed and a new drill hall was proposed. In 1868 the drill hall, or Castle Armoury, was built on the historical site of Bury Castle. To reflect the 'castle' the drill hall has a fortified style with castellations, gargoyles, turrets, towers, arrow slits and other Norman architectural features on the façade. Above the main gate, with a large semi-circular arch, is a large coat of arms incorporating the Lancashire Fusiliers' badge and motto "Omnia Audax", translating to "Dare Anything". Three plaques on the east wall of the drill hall commemorate those who fell in two world wars and the Boer War.

A platoon of Fusiliers still resides at Castle Armoury. It is also HQ East Lancashire Wing of the Air Training Corps and the Bury Detachment of the Manchester Army Cadet Force and accommodates G Squadron of 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital (Volunteers).

The front of the Castle Armoury building has been used regularly as the fictional entrance to 'HMP Weatherfield' in the soap opera Coronation Street.

Recent history[link]

Terraced housing in Bury, Lancashire 1958

In the post-war 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 Square was demolished in the late 1960s, and a concrete precinct emerged to replace it. This development was replaced by the Mill Gate Shopping Centre in the late 1990s.

Another large shopping area is located around the Rock. The main street is populated mainly by independent shops and food outlets. At the top end of the street, however, is a modern shopping area. It has a multi screen cinema, bowling alley and department stores including Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Primark.

Bury has also benefited from other facilities in the early 2010s including a new medical centre and office accommodation close to Bury Town Hall. Bury is competing as a destination with Bolton and Rochdale. A decision by Marks and Spencer to vacate its store in the Mill Gate Shopping Centre and move into a large new one on the Rock emphasised a change in the makeup of the town.

The town centre is still famous for its traditional market, with its "world famous" black pudding stalls.^{[citation needed]} Bury Market was also once famous for its tripe, although this has declined in the past few decades. The Bury Black Pudding Co provide black pudding to retailers such as Harrods as well as supermarkets. It also was famous for being one of the few English towns, that had a WWE store. Selling{T shirts, action figuires and general merchandise}However in 2004 the store closed upsetting many WWE fans from the UK. No plans are in place to bring a new WWE store back to Bury town center.

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 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.

Governance[link]

Arms of the former Bury County Borough Council (abolished 1974).

In terms of local administration the town was originally a parish, then a select vestry, first with a board of guardians for the poor. Improvement commissioners were added before full borough status was granted. The borough charter was received in 1876 and by 1889 this was raised to that of a county borough.

The coat of arms was granted in 1877 and the symbols represent local industry. In the quarters are representations of the anvil, for forging, the golden fleece, for wool, a pair of crossed shuttles, for the cotton industry and a papyrus plant for the paper trade. Above them is a closed visor capped by a mayfly and two red roses. The motto "Vincit Omnia Industria" means "work conquers all".

With the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, Bury merged with the neighbouring municipal 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. On 3 July 2008 there was a referendum across the borough to decide whether the borough should be ruled by a directly elected mayor. The proposal was rejected by the voters.^[13]

Geography[link]

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

	Tottington	Ramsbottom	Norden
	Ainsworth		Heywood
		Bury    East
	Radcliffe	Whitefield	Middleton

Bury is located on the edge of the western Pennines in North West England in the northern part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area. The River Irwell flows through the town and this position has proved important in its history and development. Flowing from north to south the river effectively divides the town into two parts on the east and west sides of the valley respectively. The town centre sits close to and above the river on the east side. Bury Bridge is a key bridging point linking the east side of town and the town centre to the western suburbs and Bolton beyond. Other bridges across the river are limited - there is one at Radcliffe Road to the south and at Summerseat to the north. There is also a bridge at the Burrs but this serves a cul-de-sac and does not allow full east–west access. To the south the main tributary, the River Roch, flowing from the east, joins the Irwell close to another significant bridging point, Blackford bridge. This carries the main route south, now the A56, towards Manchester.

The market town was first mentioned as a parish in AD 962. For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Bury is part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

Demography[link]

The town of Bury has a total population of 60,718, whereas the wider Metropolitan Borough has a population of 180,608.^[14]

Landmarks[link]

Attractions in Bury include:

Bury Bolton Street railway station at the East Lancashire Railway.

• The East Lancashire Railway, a heritage railway which runs from the town to Heywood, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall. Based at Bury Bolton Street railway station.
• Bury Art Museum, containing the Wrigley collection of paintings including works by Turner, Cox and De Wint.
• Bury Castle is a fortified manor house built in the mid 13th century by Sir Thomas Pilkington and is now protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument; the foundations have been excavated and have been open to the public since 2000.^[4][5]
• Bury's 'World Famous' Market, which has been on the same site for nearly 600 years; the original licence for a market was granted in 1444. In 2006, out of 1,150 markets in the UK, Bury Market was voted the best 'British Market of the Year' by the National Association of British Market Authorities. The market was also selected as Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards Market of the Year in 2008. It receives over 1,000 coachloads of visitors every year.^[16]
• Castlesteads, Greater Manchester is an ancient promontory fort and scheduled monument.
• The regimental museum of the Lancashire Fusiliers has now moved to a new museum on Moss Street in Bury.^[17]
• Peel Tower, Harcles Hill,^[18] above Holcombe village, Ramsbottom. The Peel Tower was built in remembrance of Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and founder of the police force, who was born in Bury. 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).
• Bury Parish Church on the Market Place in the centre of the town is a Grade I listed building.^[19][20]
• Silver Street and environs contain many examples of mid-Victorian architecture, using York stone, from the pre-Gothic revival period.

Ron Silliman's neon piece From Northern Soul (Bury Neon) on display at Bury Interchange

Bury is home to several fine sculptures and pieces of public art. Edward Hodges Baily's 1851 statue of Sir Robert Peel stands in the centre of town,^[21] while Lutyens' Lancashire Fusiliers memorial can be found outside the Fusilier Museum.^[22] George Frampton's 'cheering fusilier', a tribute to the those who died in the Boer War, stands in Whitehead Gardens near the town hall.^[23] Contemporary works include Ron Silliman's text piece From Northern Soul (Bury Neon) at Bury Interchange.^[24]

Transport[link]

Bury Interchange, complete with a Metrolink tram.

Bury is connected to other settlements via Bus, Metrolink and Train.

Bury Bolton Street railway station, is home to the East Lancashire Railway, a railway which serves Heywood, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall. The station is the original railway station of Bury, and was its a mainline station until 1980. Bury Interchange was the replacement for Bolton Street and incorporated a railway station, with services to Manchester Victoria. This was provided by Class 504 units, which were third-rail operated. When the Metrolink took over services of the line, the third rail was lost, and trams replaced trains in 1992.

First Manchester and Easyride Buses operate most bus services around Bury, connecting with destinations within Greater Manchester and Rossendale respectively. The bus station is connected to the Bury Interchange Metrolink station, to provide a vast complex of inter-modal transport. There is also a free car park at the rear of the complex. The station is located in the centre of Bury, right next to Bury Market, the Millgate Shopping Centre, the Rock and the main square.

Manchester Metrolink operates trams to Manchester, Altrincham and Eccles. Part of a £600m development plan on the Metrolink line, is going to open new routes to the following towns Oldham, Rochdale, Droylsden, Chorlton and MediaCityUK in Salford. This development is planned to open over the following dates: Newton Heath - Central Park in spring 2011, Oldham Mumps in autumn 2011 and Rochdale railway station in spring 2012.

There is generally a 6 minute service from Bury to Manchester city centre, with every other tram continuing to Altrincham. Trams to Eccles are provided from Manchester Piccadilly Station. Trams usually run in singular formations, however when the new trams arrive in 2009, trams will be coupled together at peak periods to work in a double formation.

Education[link]

Derby High School is one of Bury's comprehensive schools. It was opened in 1959 and its patron is the Earl of Derby.

Colleges

• Bury College, formerly Bury Technical College and Peel Sixth Form College.
• Bury Grammar School has existed since the 1634.^[25]
• Holy Cross College, formerly Bury Convent Grammar School. In 2008 it was named 2nd in the country.

High schools located in the area include

• Broad Oak High School
• Bury Church of England High School
• Bury Grammar School (Independent)
• Derby High School
• Elton High School
• St Gabriel's High School

Sport[link]

Bury has a football club, Bury F.C., which plays at Gigg Lane. The club was formed in 1885 and in 1889 they finished runners up in the inaugural season of the Lancashire League. They were elected to the Football League Second Division in 1894, at the same time as Manchester City. They were promoted to Division One at the end of their first season, beating Liverpool in a play-off.^[26] More success came in 1900 when they won the FA Cup followed by a further win in 1903. On the second occasion they beat Derby County 6-0 - a record victory for a Cup Final that still stands. The most recent run of success was in 1996 and 1997 when they won promotion from Football League Division Three and Football League Division Two, being Champions in that Division, in successive seasons.

The club plays in League One, with a thriving Youth and Centre of Excellence department^[27] which has recently^[when?] produced players such as David Nugent, Simon Whaley and Colin Kazim-Richards. Former legends include free scoring Craig Madden, old timers Norman Bullock and Henry Cockburn, Neville Southall, Dean Kiely, Lee Dixon, Colin Bell, Terry McDermott, Alec Lindsay, Trevor Ross and John McGrath.

Gigg Lane is also used by F.C. United of Manchester of the Northern Premier League Premier Division. FC United is a breakaway group of former Manchester United fans adhering to the anti Malcolm Glazer movement and outright commercialism in modern football. F.C. United's attendances are extremely competitive with those of Bury F.C. themselves. Until 2002 Manchester United Reserves were also hosted by Gigg Lane in Bury.

Culture[link]

Performing arts[link]

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 Peter Kay, Jason Manford, Steve Coogan and Eddie Izzard in their days before fame.

Museums and galleries[link]

Bury Art Museum on Moss Street, home to a fine collection of Victorian and 20th century art, including works by Turner, Constable, and Landseer.

The Fusilier Museum, home to the collection of the Lancashire Fusiliers, commemorating over three hundred years of the regiment's history. The museum occupies the former School of Arts and Crafts on Broad Street.

The award winning Bury Transport Museum, part of the East Lancashire Railway, holds a fine collection of vintage vehicles and interactive displays. It is housed in the Grade II listed, beautifully restored, 1848 Castlecroft Goods Shed. In 2011 Bury Transport Museum won a National Railway Heritage Award.

Music[link]

The 2008 Mercury Music Prize winning group Elbow, fronted by Guy Garvey, hail from Bury and in 2009 the group were awarded Freedom of the Borough after their 2008 classic album "Seldom Seen Kid" won several accolades including a Brit Award and Mercury Prize.^[28]

Food[link]

Bury is known for its black puddings^[29] so much so, that it is not uncommon to see it as "Bury Black Pudding" on a menu. Bury simnel cake is also a variant of the cake originating in Bury. Bury is also notable for tripe, though there is little demand for this in modern times.

Notable people[link]

Statue of Sir Robert Peel by Edward Hodges Baily in Bury

• Victoria Wood, BAFTA award winning comedienne. She went to Bury Grammar School.^[30]
• John Kay, the inventor of the Flying Shuttle, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution. He was born to a yeoman farming family at Park, a tiny hamlet just North of Bury, on 16 June 1704.^[31] A memorial to John Kay stands in the heart of Bury - in Kay Gardens.^[12] He also features as one of twelve subjects portrayed in the epic Manchester Murals, by Ford Madox Brown, that decorate the Great Hall, Manchester Town Hall and depict the history of the city. The piece shows John Kay being smuggled to safety as rioters, who feared their jobs were in danger, sought to destroy looms whose invention he had made possible. This was a key moment in the struggle between labour and new technology. He eventually fled to France and died in poverty.
• James Wood, Dean of Ely Cathedral and Master of St John's College, Oxford was born Bury in 1760. A pupil at Bury Grammar School, he won an exhibition to St John's College and was a college tutor from 1789 to 1814. During this time he published the 'Principles of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy'. He was appointed Dean of Ely in 1820. He served as Master of St John's from 1815 and left his library to the college upon his death in 1839.^[32]
• Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), the 19th century 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.^[33] He is also notable for forming the famous British Police division, 'Scotland Yard' in London. A monument, Peel Tower, now exists to his memory. As this is situated nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, it is easily recognisable 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. You will notice that Sir Robert has his waistcoat fastened the wrong way round.
• Professor Sir John Charnley, born, son of a Bury pharmacist, in Bury in 1911. He wrote 'The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures', first published in 1950 which became a standard text for the subject. His subsequent achievement in developing hip replacement surgery, in 1962, is acknowledged as a ground breaking development that changed the approach to orthopaedic surgery. He established a centre for hip surgery at Wrightington Hospital, near Wigan where he worked. He was knighted for his work in 1977.^[34] The John Charnley Research Institute, Wrightington Hospital, near Wigan was named in his honour.
• Mark E. Smith, frontman and the only permanent member of post-punk band The Fall grew up in Prestwich in Bury. On the 2010 album Your Future Our Clutter is the track "Bury Pts. 1+3", with lyrics loosely relating to the place.
• Kelly, Barrie, sprinter who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, the 1966 and 1970 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica and Edinburgh and two European championships, Budapest in 1966 and Athens in 1969. He was British Champion, indoors and outdoors at 60 m and 100 m several times during this period.
• Parry, Gareth (Gaz), rock climbing. One of Britain's most successful rock climbers. A former British champion in 1996 and 2002. Competed for Great Britain at the highest level for many years. Current British bouldering team coach.
• Smith, Lawrie, yachtsman, arguably Britain's most successful racing sailor. Learnt to sail at Elton Sailing Club, Bury. Won bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and the Fastnet Race. Skippered British Challenger in the America's Cup and finished fourth in Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989/90.
• Richmal Crompton, author was born on Manchester Road, Bury (a plaque marks the house).^[35]
• Helen Flanagan Actress best known for her role as Rosie Webster in Coronation Street
• Suzanne Shaw Originally famous for winning the show Popstars and being a member of Hear'say, Shaw is now the star of West End shows as well as a singer, actress and television presenter.
• Nicky Ajose, current Peterborough United player
• Gary Neville, retired former Manchester United captain, and his younger brother Phil, Everton midfielder and captain and younger sister Tracey, former netball international.
• Elbow, the band, achieved the Mercury Music Prize in 2009, for their album The Seldom Seen Kid.
• Danny Boyle, Oscar-winning film director of Slumdog Millionaire.
• Andy Goram, Scottish international footballer.
• John Partridge, performer notably for playing the role of Christian in EastEnders
• Lisa Riley, Actress & Television Presenter best known for her role as Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale was born in Bury.
• Antony Cotton, Actor and television host best known for his role as Sean Tully in Coronation Street was born in Bury.
• Matt Littler, Actor best known for his role as Max Cunningham in Hollyoaks was born in Bury and was a former pupil of Elton High School.
• Gemma Atkinson, Actress and lad mags favourite was born in Bury.
• Vicky Binns, Actress best known for her role as Molly Dobbs in Coronation Street was born in Bury.
• Jennie McAlpine, Actress best known for her role as Fiz in Coronation Street was born in Bury and was a former pupil of St Gabriel's RC High School, Bury.
• Cherie Blair, barrister and former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife was born in Bury.
• John Spencer, World Snooker Champion was born in Bury.
• Jazz Dhiman, Professional Actor and Artist - Lives in the area.
• Steve Evets, Professional Actor - Looking For Eric, Lives in the area.
• Ian Wallace, Professional Musician - Drummer with King Crimson, Don Henley, Bob Dylan and others was born in Bury and attended Bury Grammar School. His first group, The Jaguars, was formed in Bury with some school pals.
• Christian McKay He studied piano as a youth and had performed the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at age 21. McKay subsequently halted his concert career and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study acting. Played, to critical acclaim, Orson Welles in the film Me and Orson Welles
• Steve Halliwell Actor best known for his role as Zak Dingle in Emmerdale

Members of Parliament[link]

• Burt, Alistair, Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire was born in Bury and was head boy at Bury Grammar School
• Chaytor, David, former Member of Parliament for Bury North was born in Bury. Educated at Bury Grammar School.^[36]
• Crausby, David, Member of Parliament for Bolton North East was born in Bury. Educated at the Derby High School

Twin towns[link]

• Angoulême, a town and commune in South Western France
• Tulle, a small town in the Corrèze Department. Originally twinned with Prestwich.
• Schorndorf, a medieval market town to the east of Stuttgart, capital of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.
• Woodbury, New Jersey, United States.
• Datong, China.

See also[link]

• Holy Trinity Church, Bury

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• William Farrer & John Brownbill, ed. (1911), "Townships: Bury", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, Victoria County History, Constable, pp. 128–133, ISBN 0-7129-1055-7, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53012 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bury

• Bury Metropolitan Borough Council