Bury tourist information

Bury, to the north of Manchester on the River Irwell, is in the borough of the same name. It was once part of Lancashire, and many residents still consider themselves Lancasterians.

The town grew during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, with textile mills powered by water. By the 19th century the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal added futher growth and the arrival of the mills thrived and other industries arrived, including light engineering.

Despite the wealth the mills brought to Bury the workers were housed in miserable conditions, sleeping 5 to a bed and having an average life span of 14 years.

After the decline of the textile mills in the 1930's and 40's almost all the mills closed and many were demolished.

Today, with a population of around 70,00, Bury town centre has been developed as the Mill Gate Centre, a large covered shopping mall. The town has all the facilities you would expect, with theatres, a multi screen cinema, and sports facilities.

Bury has one of the most famous open air markets in England, now easily accessible using the Metrolink service which stops in the town. The market, in Murray Road, is held three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The market is famous for selling the traditional Bury Black Pudding.

One of Bury's most famous 'sons' was Sir Robert Peel, who was a British Prime Minister and also the founder of the Metropolitan Police Force. The Market Place has a monument to him, and just outside the town at Holcombe Hill is the Peel Tower monument.